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screw palm
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
It is not a palm but a pandanus!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Fruit of Pandanus utilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Pandanales
Family: Pandanaceae
Genus: Pandanus
Pandanus is a large paleotropical genus of some 600-700 species of tree- or shrub-like flowering plants. The largest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malesia (Wagner, Herbst, and Sohmer. 1990). They are typically found in lower forested areas, savanahs, and along wetter shoreline regions. They are sometimes called screw pines because their long, flat leaves (2 inches wide and 3 to 4 feet long) grow in a spiral pattern. Other common names include hala (Hawaiian) and walking fences.
Members of the genus are dioecious; male and female flowers are produced on different plants. The flowers of the male tree are 1 inch long and fragrant, surrounded by narrow, white bracts. The female tree produces flowers with round fruits that are also bract-surrounded. The fruits are around 8 inches long and have many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures.
This impressive, rounded tree grows from 20 to 30 feet in height and has a similar canopy spread. Its growth rate is moderate. It has a stout, wide-branching trunk ringed with many leaf scars. Pandanus is known for the many thick prop roots near its base which provide support as the tree grows top-heavy with leaves, fruit, and branches.
Pandanus leaves are used in South-East Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice and curry dishes such as nasi lemak or kaya preserves. They are known as pandan leaves (daun pandan in Malay) in Malaysia and 斑蘭 [bān lán] in Singapore. Ancient Hawaiians used almost every part of the plant. Pandanus trees provided materials for housing, clothing and textiles, food, medicine, ornament, fishing, and religious uses. |
petrudamsa has marked this note useful
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Beautiful pattern created by the leaf and very fine lighting. Man, luck you guys that are spending the New Year's Eve in summer!
Here everything has two shades:white and grey.
Have a good 2006.
Regards, Petru
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