|
|
|
BACK
|
|
PANDANUS PLANT |
 |
Existence of Pandanus
- The plant is common, not as a weed appearing spontaneously, but deliberately planted duly realising its advantageous behaviour in excellent soil binding.
- The plant grows well in low moist places.
- Live fencing with this plant prevent unauthorised entry of men, animals ete., besides indicating clearly defined boundaries permanently.
- The most cheapest hedge plants
- The only long term ever green plants survives here causing no or little inconvenience or disturbance to coconut farming.
- The planting of the plant practiced as a land treatment measure to conserve rain water and soil
- The one yielding fibre, generating supplementary income to farm women
|
|
Botany |
|
Pandanus veitehii
|
| A small gregarious tree with trunk 3-9 m. high and 15 cm. diameter, Leaves 2.4-4.5 m. long,
7.5-15 cm. wide with short stout sharp spines on the margins and midrib, male t1owers in compound
cylindric spikes, 10-15 cm. long and 1.8-2.9 cm, broad densely floriferous; spathes golden yellow,
inodorous fruit solitary, orange red when fully ripe, 15-23.5 cm long variable in size. |
Pandanus amaryllifolius |
| A prostrate shrub, 0.9-1.5 m high, with glaceous green leaves 1.2-1.8 m long,
bearing short sharp spines in margin and midribs, seldom flowers. |
Pandanus battostii |
| An ever green shrub. Leaves with longitudinal yellow bands,
grown fro ornamental purposes with abundant areal roots. |
|
Economic Importance |
| The plant Pandanus veitchii and Pandanus amaryllifolius are in the group of prickly Pandanus, preferred for the tough leaves suitable
for matting. Pandanus is highly polymorphous and has been described under
several specific names. It includes numerous varieties and forms, some of them fixed and
selected in various parts of the state for specific uses. A detailed study of these variants
and their systematic position is still lacking.
Apart from mat production from the leaves, other reported utilization of the plant includes the following. |
* ‘The plant yields a fibre which is employed in Andamans for making various articles of apparel.’
* ‘The fruits are eaten after cooking by Andamenese.’
* ‘The firbrous part of the fruit after removal of the soften parts are made into a sort of crude paint brush.’
* ‘The leaves are said to be valuable in leprosy, small pox, scabies and the diseases of the heart and brain.’
* ‘The anthers of male flowers are given in earache headache, and diseases of blood.’
* ‘The juice obtained from the whole inflorescence from which the spathes have been removed is said
to be useful in rheumatic arthritis in animals.’
* ‘The young leaves from the upper part of the stem are used as an antidote for poisoning.’
* ‘The moderately hard stem (wt. 480 kg/cu.m) is employed in Burma for making floats for fishing nets.’
* ‘In Pacific Islands, some of the forms, (eg. forma pulposus) are cultivated for their edible fruits.’
* ‘In India and Burma the male flowers of Pandanus odoratissimus are valued for their fragrance and used as a hair decoration, 'Kewda' attar is a distilled product of ripe spadics.’
* ‘The leaves of Pandanus utilis Born are used for thatching.’
* ‘The ends of the stilt roots are often made into rough brushes for white washing. Decoctions of
* these roots are reported to be effective in the 'treatment of venereal diseases’
* ‘The fibrous roots are used by basket makers for binding.’
* ‘The root fibre may be used as a substitute for bristle in brush making.’
* ‘The leaves are said to be good paper making material.’
* ‘The leaves are employed for covering huts, for making matting, cordage, hats, baskets and other fancy articles, they are used for making Umbrellas. In Philippines and other Pacific Islands the leaves are cured either by heating or sun drying with or without prior soaking in water. Superior quality mats are said to be made from young leaves freshly harvested, rather than from dead leaves gathered from the ground.’
(Source: 'The Wealth of India' Vol. VII)
|
Cultivation |
The plants are found growing generally along banks of rivers, canalas, fields, ponds etc; they are considered good soil binder. No accountable attack of any pests or diseases are reported, except a leaf blight caused by
Alternaria tenuis very rarely appears resulting in perforations in leaves, after complete smothering by fungus, and
premature defoliation. The plants can be propagated by offsets or division of suckers. Plants regenerated by means of
offsets begin to yield leaves from second year onwards, whereas leaves will be available after 2-3 years in the other case.
In hedges planting will be on the linear bunds. As an intercrop, Pandanus can be raised in the interspace without affecting cultivation practices extended to coconuts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
