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Roofing pandanus and its fruits

Often in offices and institutions you can see a huge, thorny and dominant plant in any composition - the pandanus. This genus unites about 750 plant species and belongs to the extensive pandanus family (Pandanaceae)... On Madagascar alone, you can find 90 of them. The variety of species gives the same variety of forms: from shrubs to huge trees up to 25 m high.

The pandanus was first described by the French botanist and traveler Jean-Baptiste Borie de Saint-Vincent, borrowing the name from the Indonesians.

Homeland of pandanus roofing(Pandanus tectorius)- Polynesia. But the area of ​​its distribution is expanding due to the unpretentiousness and endurance of the species. Now the pandanus is found in the tropics of Oceania, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, Indochina. Where it cannot grow due to the climate, it is actively cultivated as an ornamental plant in pots.

Roofing pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) in Vietnam

The secret of such widespread distribution lies in its amazing adaptability to the conditions where fate has brought it. Pandanus can grow both in his favorite coastal zone of seas, rivers and lakes, and on the slopes of volcanoes and mountains, on reefs, in tropical forests, gratefully mastering any space and soil. It grows on both sandy and rocky soil.

Roofing pandanus is an evergreen plant with long leathery leaves with well-visible spines along the edge. Tourists often mistake pandanas for a palm tree, because spirally arranged leaves form a fan at the top of the trunk. Pandan also has a popular name - spiral palm. The word palm is erroneous here, but it reflects well the appearance of an adult plant, which looks like a palm tree with its spreading crown.

Pandanus leaves are whole, linear, leathery, tightly wrapping around the trunk, they can reach a length of 3-4 m and a width of 10-15 cm.At home, pandanus leaves reach 1 m with a width of 6-8 cm.Some varieties have yellowish or white leaves longitudinal stripes. With a lack of light, the white stripes on the growing leaves turn yellow and decrease in size, or the leaves grow without stripes. The leaves are arranged in a helical manner, so after they die off, the trunk looks like a twisted screw due to traces of the leaves attaching to the trunk. The leaves are extremely durable due to well-developed mechanical tissues. At the top of the trunk, which can branch, 3-4 rows of leaves are preserved. The edges of the leaves and the central vein on the underside of the leaf are decorated with colorless spines. The tips of the thorns in some species may be reddish, for example, in the pandanus useful (Pandanus utilis). As the leaves die off, the trunk grows and can reach a height of 5-7 m.

Roofing pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) in Vietnam

Like all monocotyledonous plants, pandanus does not have a taproot; adventitious roots growing from the trunk help keep the tree in balance. After the aerial roots reach the soil, they actively take root and begin to branch. The adventitious roots that have not reached the ground remain hanging from the trunk, the root tip is expanded due to the root cap. After the tree gains a solid support due to adventitious roots, the lower part of the trunk dies off. It is this form of pandanus, standing on stilted roots, that is called "walking palms".

Pandanus utilis, stilted roots

Pandanus is a dioecious plant. Male inflorescences in the form of panicles are formed from cobs, consisting of small flowers without bracts. Bright, opaque leaves are visible at the base of the inflorescence. Male flowers exude a delicate aroma reminiscent of a rose, with a pronounced fruity tint.

Female inflorescences are larger than male ones, they are more rounded and massive. From the inflorescence, inflorescences are formed with drupes tightly pressed to each other. Externally, the fruit is similar to a pineapple. The size of the infructescence varies greatly depending on the type of pandanus from 2 cm to 60 x 20 cm. The infructescence can be spherical or slightly elongated.

Each drupe is surrounded by a juicy pericarp. As the fruit ripens, the color of the fruit changes from green to bright red, yellow or bluish.The ripening period is long, the fruits can be on the branches for more than a year. When drupes fall down, land crabs, which are called "palm thieves" or "coconut crabs", love to feast on them. They are seduced by a juicy bright pericarp.

Not all types of pandanus are edible. Roofing pandanus is the only species in which all parts of the plant are used. Compound fruits of this species are spherical, 10-20 cm in diameter. Despite their size, the fruits are light.

Roofing pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) in Vietnam

On the atolls of the Pacific Ocean, the roofing pandan is one of the main sources of food for the aborigines, second only to the coconut palm. The fruits of pandanus roofing contain high amounts of vitamin C. In addition to the fruits, the natives eat flowers, buds and the lower part of the leaves as vegetables. The fleshy phalanges are eaten raw or boiled. Mashed potatoes are made from boiled fruits, adding coconut milk there. You can bake flat cakes from this puree.

Drinks are also prepared from the fruits. The crushed fruit powder is mixed with palm syrup and water to create a nutrient-rich drink.

Seed kernels are edible too. They are dried or smoked.

The roots and leaves of pandanus are extremely strong due to the large number of mechanical fibers. To obtain fibers, the leaves are soaked in sea water, then boiled and dyed. A wide variety of wicker products are made from fibers: mats, baskets, hats, nets, twine, toys, and canoe sails. The leaves are also used as roofing material.

Besides Pandanus roofing, Madagascar pandanus is useful (Pandanus utilis) cultivated as a fibrous plant in South and Central America, on the islands of the Indian Ocean and in the tropics of Africa. Leaves of Pandanus candelabra (Pandanus candelabrum) used for stuffing mattresses. In addition, it is worth noting an interesting feature of this type of pandanus - it grows on diamond-bearing soils.

But the most interesting use of the leaves is in cooking. Rice, meat, fish and other dishes are wrapped in them, and they add a pleasant aroma to the dish. As a spice, pandan leaves give dishes a sweet and nutty flavor with hints of vanilla and herbs. Leaf powder is used as a natural food coloring. It dyes dishes green and is very popular in Thailand, where it is used in green bread and desserts.

Tea made from pandanus flowers is widely known in Asia. It serves as the basis for numerous tea compositions due to its cookie-like taste. Tea has a mucolytic and mild laxative effect, improves digestion. This tea is widely used in Vietnam.

From the masculine fragrant flowers, the essential oil "kewda" is obtained, which is used in perfumery.

Aborigines use accessory roots as supports for the walls of their homes, make handles for baskets and umbrellas from smaller ones, prepare charcoal or compost, and make black dye.

Lightweight pandanus wood is used to make rafts and as a building material and fuel.

Pandanus useful (Pandanus utilis) variegated

Pandanuses have been cultivated as indoor plants since the end of the 19th century. They are popular due to their unpretentiousness and endurance, do not require careful maintenance, but take up quite a lot of space.

Only 3 types of pandanas are suitable for home keeping:

  • Pandanus useful(Pandanusutilis) - the largest of the domestic pandans. It reaches a height of 2-3 m. Bright green leaves with reddish thorns along the edge of the leaf and keel are its distinctive feature. The length of the leaves is up to 1.5 m with a width of 8-10 cm.
  • Pandan Veitch (Pandanusveitchii) with bright green leaves, decorated with white stripes along the edge with thorns. The length of the leaves is 60-90 cm with a width of 5-7 cm. It grows up to 1.5 m in height. It grows relatively slowly. Variety P.compactus has a thicker leafiness than the original form.
  • Pandan Sandera (Pandanussanderi) has leaves with thin yellowish stripes up to 80 cm long and 5 cm wide. Young shoots have a characteristic orange-yellow color.

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