Wildflowers, Photos ... and Pandanus or Screw Palm

You might call it Pandanus Palm, Screw Pine or Breadfruit. Whatever you call it, Pandanus is not a palm, not a pine, and its not the breadfruit of Captain Bligh and the Bounty fame.
Image Could Not Be Found

Regardless of what its called Pandanus trees are a common sight throughout tropical Australia. It’s especially common along watercourses and beaches where their distinctive big spiky leaves spiralling around the top of the branches stand in sharp contrast to other softer vegetation.
Image Could Not Be Found

Pandanus are found worldwide, and there are over 600 species. There are about 30 species in Australia occurring in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The name Pandanus is derived from the Indonesian/Malay name of the tree, Pandan.

They are shrubs or trees and have separate male and female plants, each producing small white flowers enclosed in large bracts. The female produces fruit that is a head-sized group of wedge shaped segments (looks a bit like a big pineapple) that turn yellow or red as they ripen. Within each segment the edible seeds are embedded in tough fibrous material. Old pandanus fruit segments are commonly seen washed up on the beach.
Image Could Not Be Found

Pandanus stems or trunks are much-branched and aerial roots are present, usually in the form of prop or stilt roots. These above ground roots provide extra support to hold up heavy fruits, leaves and branches and also to combat the often windy environment.
Image Could Not Be Found

The branches end in dense clusters of sword-like leaves in a spiral arrangement. In some species this spiral arrangement shows on the bark of the trunks, giving rise to the common name of screw palm/pine. The edges of the leaves have sharp backward pointing spines. Wildlife including birds, takes advantage of the spiny leaves by living or nesting in the tree for protection.
Image Could Not Be Found

Of the 30 odd Australian species, 4 are most commonly seen.

Pandanus spiralis or Screw Palm is the most common. It gets its name from the screw-like markings around the bark of its trunk. It is found across the Kimberley, in the northern third of the Northern Territory, the whole Cape York and extends south along the coast until about Mackay. It grows up to 12m high, has prop roots, a brown trunk, dull green leaves with a whitish waxy bloom, small white flowers and fruits arranged in pineapple-like clusters.
Image Could Not Be Found

Pandanus tectorius or Screw Pine is the largest species. It can grow up to 18m high, and has prop roots, pale grey trunk, mid-green to bluish-green leaves. It is found along the eastern coast of Australia north from about Coffs Harbour to the top of Cape York.

Pandanus gemmifer or Pandanus grows up to 8m high, has prop roots, a pale brown trunk, dark green, thick leathery leaves. It is found along the coast of northern Queensland between Innisfail and Iron Range National Park on Cape York.

Pandanus aquaticus or River Pandanus is the smallest of Australian pandanus trees. It grows up to 5m tall and has a pinkish-brown trunk, creamy-white flowers, bluish-green leaves and green fruits that turn red as they ripen. River Pandanus is found in the Top End of Northern Territory, and in a few small pockets in the Kimberley, and Lawn Hill National Park area in north-western Queensland.
Image Could Not Be Found

Pandanus trees provided many useful resources to aboriginal people. The leaves are very flammable and smouldering branches were used to carry fire from one place to another.

Pandanus fruit and seeds are edible and Aboriginal people used pandanus fruits both as medicine and as food. In addition, mashed leaves can be used to cure headaches when tied around the head.

Pandanus leaves are heavy and strong, and were used by indigenous people for clothing, fishing and as decorations. The leaves are split and sun dried then the fibre can be used as string to weave neckbands and armbands and for making baskets, dillybags, fish traps, mats and shelters.
Image Could Not Be Found

So here is another of the amazing plants that we see on our travels. The sight of Pandanus tells us we are in the tropics or at least the subtropics. Although we share Pandanus with other parts of the world, we can imagine how we would go using it in as many ways as aboriginal people did and in some places still do.

Cheers,

Val.