Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze

താഴമ്പു

Family : PANDANACEAE

Synonym :

Pandanus fascicularis Lam.

Common Names : Thazhambu, Pookaitha, Kaitha, Kainari, Thala, Fragrant screw pine, Screw pine, Screw tree, Umbrella tree

Flowering Period : July-November

Distribution : Tropical and subtropical Asia

Habitat : Mangrove forests and sea coasts

Uses : It is traditionally recommended by the Indian Ayurvedic medicines for treatment of headache, rheumatism, spasm, cold/flu, epilepsy, wounds, boils, scabies, leucoderma, ulcers, colic, hepatitis, smallpox, leprosy, syphilis, and cancer and as a cardiotonic, antioxidant, dysuric, and aphrodisiac. Leaves - aromatic. A popular perfume, known as 'kewda attar' is obtained from the flower.

Key Characters :

Branched shrubs or small trees; trunk greyish-brown, ringed by leaf-scars and with basal prop roots. Leaves spiralled in 3 rows, upto 200 cm long and 6 cm broad, linear-ensiform, apex gradually narrowed into an elongated triquete flagella, the margins and dorsal midrib armed with white prickles, glaucous beneath. Female inflorescence a solitary terminal cephalium, pendulous in fruit. Phalanges mostly 5-15-celled, the carpels concentrically arranged, their apices with U-or V-shaped stigmas. Male inflorscence of several spikes, with white or cream axillant bracts, 5-10 cm long, composed of numerous phalanges; anthers apiculate. Fruit c. 20 x 10 cm oblong, red-orange.