atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

Vanda sp. " vanda orchid "
Recent introduction. S. E. Asia. Rare. Evergreen orchid with showy flowers.
Planted ornamental. 6.
PANDANACEAE (Pandanus Family) *
*The nomenclature for the genus Pandanus is, like Musa, confused, with some
taxonomists classifying many of the common cultivars and wild clones or species, both
edible and non-edible, as forms or varieties of P. tectorius. Other taxonomists consider
them distinct species, often listing numerous species or varieties for a given area. For
example, P. odoratissirnus L.f. has long been thought to be synonymous with P.
tectorius, but is not considered, by many authorities, to occur east of Malaysia. Similar-
ly, P. odoratissirnus L.f. var. pyrifonnis Mart. has been used as a synonym for a wild
and doubtful variety of P. tectorius, whereas Stone (1970) considers P. fragrans Gaud. to
be the common wild species on Guam, and does not consider P. tectorius to be present.
Thus, because the fruit of many of the named cultivars or varieties found on Nauru were
not collected and identified, the identifications here must be considered provisional, with
most named cultivars being grouped under P. tectorius. Other widespread forms, such as
P. dubius Spreng., a widespread edible species; and P. spurius Miq. cv. "PUTAT"
(syns. P. tectorius Warb. var. laevis Warb. ; P. odoratissirnus L. f. var. laevis (Warb .)
Mart., which are widely cultivated for their leaves for use in plated ware, are also
possibly present, but not listed here. P. dubius, if present, however, is a very different
plant, not likely to be confused with P. tectorius. It has no edible fleshy tissue, but a
large globose fruit, 30 to 40 cm in diameter, composed of many drupes, 8 to 18 cm long,
each containing a single seed with edible white endosperm.
Pandanus tectorius Warb. var. pulposus Warb.
epo, epuh (N); te kaina (K); fala (T)
syn. P. pyrifomis Gaud.
"pandanus" , "screw pine"
Indigenous and probably an aboriginal introduction in the case of some cultivars.
Pacific Is. Common. Stout, branching tree, up to 5 m or more tall, with numerous aerial
roots and thick forking stems; leaves, seldom over 10 cm wide and 1 to 3 m long,
spirally-arranged, pointed, with armed or spiny margins and midribs; male inflorescence,
fragrant, pendant, with cream-yellow bracts and white spikes; female inflorescence,
si=-bu t stnaIkel;n separate trees; f fii7 pEii%ppmilCe, mid; 2OPt0 30cm-long and
10 to 20 cm wide, with 50 or more wedge-shaped, yellow to red-orange, 1 to 12-celled
woody drupes, each about 4 to 8 cm long. Commonly planted on the coastal strip in
home gardens and in open areas and in stands on the unmined portions of the plateau