Tropicos | Name - Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze

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Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze

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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 12/26/2021)

Acceptance : Accepted

References (Last Modified On 12/26/2021)

References:

Beentje, H. & M. W. Callmander. In press. Flora of Peninsular Malaysia. Pandanaceae.
Callmander, M. W. , T. J. Gallaher , J. McNeill , H. J. Beentje , A. Nadaf , D. J. Middleton & S. Buerki. 2020. Neotypification of Pandanus odorifer, the correct name for P. odoratissimus (Pandanaceae). Taxon 70(1): 182-184.
Stone, B. C. M. 1967. Studies in Malesian Pandanaceae I. Polymorphism in Pandanus odoratissimus L.F. of Asia. Gard. Bull. Singapore 22: 231–257.

Taxonomy (Last Modified On 12/26/2021)

Taxonomy: Member of subgenus Pandanus subg. Pandanus sensu Stone (1975). Pandanus odorifer differs from P. tectorius (which naturally occurs more easterly throughout the Pacific) by having much longer marginal prickles on their leaves and fleshy “shoulders” on phalanges at maturity (see Stone in Gard. Bull. Sing. 22(2) (1967) 231-257 for more details).

Description (Last Modified On 12/26/2021)

Description: Tree to 10 m, erect or rarely decumbent, with candelabra-like branching, or less often a much-branched clump-forming shrub 3–4.5 m; trunk to 20 cm diameter; stem grey-brown or buff, with clear leaf scars, with prickles to 1 cm (arrested growth roots); ultimate branches to 3 cm diameter; leafy for half stem length (in shade) or near apex of branches only (in open); stem and often lower branches with brown prop roots 1–2 m long and 3–10 cm thick (these rarely absent), with small spiny bosses in lines. Leaves linear, subcoriaceous, (70–)100–480 × 3.5–11 cm (in young specimens 4–5 times longer and 2–3 times wider than those of mature plants), to 3 mm thick, base clasping stem, apex narrowed into an elongate 3-sided cauda 15–40 cm long; olive green and slightly glaucous above, paler green below; margins whitish or pale green and with (occasionally red-brown tipped) white prickles 3–6(–10) mm long and 7–45 mm apart, smaller and less spaced higher up; midrib with reflexed prickles 3–6 mm long and 4–45 mm apart, higher up becoming ascending; in midleaf with (21–)35–46 parallel veins in each half; not tessellate; pleats on upper surface unarmed. ♀ inflorescence with terminal arching to pendulous solitary syncarp; peduncle 9–40 × 0.8–2 cm, 3-sided, the lower bracts leaf-like, the upper bracts yellowish-white and gradually shorter, the uppermost bracts linear-lanceolate; syncarp ellipsoid or globose, (9–)15–23(–30) × (8.5–)12–20 cm, composed of many (26–143) phalanges; phalanges free but tightly crowded, orange-red to red, soft and fleshy when ripe, oblong-ellipsoid or obovoid, 30–80 × 22–45 mm, composed of 4–10 fused carpels or fewer near cephalium apex or more at cephalium base; each carpel ending in a U- or V-shaped stigma 2–4 × 2‒4 mm, these arranged concentrically on the rather flattened or low-pyramidal phalange apex, sometimes greenish; phalange sides ± smooth; abrupt fleshy dark red ‘shoulders’ 3–6 mm wide of the mature phalanges are typical, but do not last upon drying, as both colour and structure disappear, they can also be eaten by ants and insects in the field; endocarp 15–30 mm long, bony, walls 1.5–4 mm thick; seeds ellipsoid, 8–18 × 3.5–5 mm; basal mesocarp fibrous and fleshy, extensive. ♂ inflorescence terminal, arcuate and pendent, creamy white, a 30–60 cm long raceme of spikes (usually 5, 7, 9 or 11); peduncle fleshy and soon desintegrating, the creamy white bracts similar to those on the female inflorescence, lowest floral bract 48 × 2.2 cm, at base with marginal prickles, at apex long-subulate, the median bract 19 × 2.6 cm, unarmed except near apex; spikes dense, cylindric, 2.5–6 (Ridley says 7.5) × 1.5–2 cm, with many ♂ flowers; each spike of a fleshy central axis with many lateral fasciculate bundles (‘phalanges’) of 13 mm long each bearing 19–24 stamens; stamens with filament 0.5–2 mm long, anthers 2–3.6 × 0.5‒0.9 mm, of which the apiculus 0.3–0.7 mm, often contorted when dry. Inflorescence decaying quickly after maturing.

Distribution (Last Modified On 12/26/2021)

Country: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Regional: Borneo, Malay Peninsula

Provincial: Kalimantan, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak