Pandanus is a genus of monocots with about 578 accepted species. and is the largest in the family.

Description

thumb|Aerial, prop roots

The species vary in size from small shrubs less than tall, to medium-sized trees tall, typically with a broad canopy, heavy fruit, and moderate growth rate. The trunk is stout, wide-branching, and ringed with many leaf scars. Mature plants can have branches. The roots form a pyramidal tract to hold the trunk. These roots are adventitious and often branched. The top of the plant has one or more crowns of strap-shaped leaves that may be spiny, Phylogenetic analyses of the maternal DNA of Pandanus has shown the genus to be divided into two large groups (Clade I and Clade II), with each of those groups further subdivided into two smaller groups (Subclade Ia, Subclade Ib, Subclade IIa, and Subclade IIb). The split between Clades I and II was determined to have occurred during the early Miocene, whereas the splits between Subclade Ia and Ib and between Subclade IIa and IIb were determined to have occurred during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum. The name is derived from Proto-Austronesian *paŋudaN (which became Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paŋdan and Proto-Oceanic *padran). It has many cognates in Austronesian languages, underscoring its importance in Austronesian cultures, including Atayal ; Kavalan ; Thao ; Tagalog ; Chamorro ; Manggarai ; Malagasy , Tongan ; Tahitian ; Hawaiian all referring to plants of similar characteristics and/or uses whether in the same genus (particularly Pandanus tectorius) or otherwise (in the case of Māori or ; e.g. harakeke). Pandanus is traditionally divided into six subgenera (Coronata, Kurzia, Lophostigma, Pandanus, Rykia, and Vinsonia); however, molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown these subgenera to not represent the true evolutionary history of Pandanus as all but Coronata are either polyphyletic or paraphyletic.

Ecology

These plants grow from sea level to an altitude of . Pandanus trees are of cultural, health, and economic importance in the Pacific, second only to the coconut on atolls. They grow wild mainly in semi-natural vegetation in littoral habitats throughout the tropical and subtropical Pacific, where they can withstand drought, strong winds, and salt spray. They propagate readily from seed, but popular cultivars are also widely propagated from branch cuttings by local people. Those stilt roots emerge from the stem, usually close to but above the ground, which helps to keep the plants upright and secure them to the ground. they are most numerous on the low islands and barren atolls of Polynesia and Micronesia. Other species are adapted to mountain habitats and riverine forests.

The tree is grown and propagated from shoots that form spontaneously in the axils of lower leaves. Pandanus fruits are eaten by animals including bats, rats, crabs, and elephants, but the vast majority of species are dispersed primarily by water. Its fruit can float and spread to other islands without help from humans.

Pandanus leaves from Pandanus amaryllifolius are used widely in Southeast Asian and South Asian cuisines to add a distinct aroma to various dishes and to complement flavors like chocolate. Because of their similarity in usage, pandan leaves are sometimes referred to as the "vanilla of Asia." Fresh leaves are typically torn into strips, tied in a knot to facilitate removal, placed in the cooking liquid, then removed at the end of cooking. Dried leaves and bottled extract may be bought in some places. Finely sliced pandan leaves are used as fragrant confetti for Malay weddings, graves etc.

Pandan leaves are known as in Indonesian and Malaysian Malay<!-- Do not treat "Malay" and "Indonesian" as separate linguistically, see Nothofer, Bernd (2009). "Malay". In Brown, Keith; Ogilvie, Sarah (eds.). Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World p. 678 -->; () or simply in Filipino; () in Mandarin; as (; ) in Thai, in Vietnamese; in Bengali; and rampe in Sinhalese and Hindi.

In India, particularly in Nicobar Islands, pandanus fruit is staple food of Shompen people and Nicobarese people.

In Sri Lanka, pandan leaves are used heavily in both vegetable and meat dishes and are often grown in homes. It is common practice to add a few pieces of pandan leaf when cooking red or white rice as well.

In Southeast Asia, pandan leaves are mainly used in sweets such as coconut jam and pandan cake. In Indonesia and Malaysia, pandan is also added to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak. In the Philippines, pandan leaves are commonly paired with coconut meat (a combination referred to as ) in various desserts and drinks like maja blanca and gulaman.

In Indian cooking, the leaf is added whole to biryani, a kind of rice pilaf, made with ordinary rice (as opposed to that made with the premium-grade basmati rice). The basis for this use is that both basmati and pandan leaf contains the same aromatic flavoring ingredient, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. In Sri Lanka, pandan leaves are a major ingredient used in the country's cuisine.

Kewra (also spelled Kevda or Kevada) is an extract distilled from the pandan flower, used to flavor drinks and desserts in Indian cuisine. Also, kewra or kevada is used in religious worship, and the leaves are used to make hair ornaments worn for their fragrance as well as decorative purpose in western India. while partly ripe fruit should be cooked first. Small-fruited pandanus may be bitter and astringent. Over 45 cultivated varieties are known. Entire households will move, and in some areas will speak a pandanus language at harvest time. The taste is like coconut or walnuts.

Throughout Oceania, almost every part of the plant is used, with various species different from those used in Southeast Asian cooking. Pandanus trees provide materials for housing; clothing and textiles including the manufacture of dilly bags (carrying bags), fine mats or ie toga; sails, food, medication, decorations, fishing, and religious uses. In the Vanuatu Archipelago, natives make woven fish traps from the hard interior root of the pandanus, made like a cage having a narrow entrance.

See also

  • – vessels of the Caroline Islands which traditionally had pandanus mat sails

References

Further reading

  • Germplasm Resources Information Network: Pandanus
  • Sorting Pandanus names
  • Wagner, W. L., Herbst, D. R., & Sohmer, S. H. (1990). Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaiʻi.
  • photos and text by Dave Kimble
  • - photo essay
  • Northernmost pandanus in the world, in the Azores Islands, photo.
  • Pandanus simplex fruit eaten by Varanus olivaceus, Polillo Island, Philippines.
  • "Hala: The Hawaiian Aphrodisiac" Article by Shannon Wianecki describing Hawaiian cultural uses for pandanus. Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine Volume 15 Number. 1 (Jan 2011).
  • Biological Analytics of Pandan