| Pandanus spiralis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Growing in Kakadu National Park | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Pandanales |
| Family: | Pandanaceae |
| Genus: | Pandanus |
| Species: | P. spiralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pandanus spiralis | |
Pandanus spiralis is a small tree in the family Pandanaceae native to northern Australia. It is commonly called pandanus, spring pandanus, screw palm or screw pine, although it is neither a palm nor a pine.
Pandanus spiralis is a small tree growing up to 10 m tall with a slender trunk, and often with a clumping habit. It has long, spiny leaves organised in a spiral arrangement. The plant bears a large, pineapple-like cluster of fruit that turn orange-red when ripe.
This species was first described by the Scottish botanist Robert Brown in his book Prodromus floræ Novæ Hollandiæ et Insulæ Van-Diemen , published in 1810. [4]
Five varieties are recognised as of June 2024 [update] , as follows: [3]
This species occurs in northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and the extreme north of Western Australia. It grows in savannah woodlands and poorly drained areas such as alongside creeks and rivers, the margins of floodplains, and coastal dunes, on various substrates including sand, alluvium and clay. [5] [6] [7] [8]
The dense skirt of old leaves provides a refuge for many forms of wildlife including birds, bats, rodents and lizards. The seeds within the fruit are eaten by cockatoos and possums. [9] [10]
The leaves of this tree are used to weave various products such as neckbands, armbands, baskets, mats, fish traps and shelters, and the fibre can be stripped out to make string for dillybags and other uses. The trunks are used to build rafts. [5] [9] [11] The plant has a number of medicinal uses, including as an analgesic and to treat disentery and diarrhoea. [5] [12] The leaf bases are eaten and the seeds can be eaten raw or roasted, and may be ground to make flour. [5] [10] [13]
Cryptocarya is a genus of about 360 species of flowering plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Most species are trees, occasionally shrubs, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Most plants in the genus Cryptocarya have leaves arranged alternately along the stems, small flowers with 6 tepals, stamens in 2 rows, the inner row alternating with staminodes, and the fruit is a drupe.
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is book dealing with the flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora. It described over 2040 species, over half of which were published for the first time.
Acrotriche is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, occurring in all states of Australia except the Northern Territory. Plants in the genus Acrotriche are shrubs with hairy branchlets, leaves with more or less parallel veins and small flowers with 5 sepals and petals joined at the base to form a bell-shaped to cylindrical tube with hairs and stamens in the throat.
Pimelea microcephala, commonly known as mallee rice-flower or shrubby rice-flower is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to mainland Australia. It is an erect shrub with compact heads of male or female, white to yellow or greenish flowers on separate plants, the heads surrounded by 2 or 4 leaf-like involucral bracts.
Scaevola aemula, commonly known as the fairy fan-flower or common fan-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has mostly egg-shaped leaves and blue, mauve or white fan-shaped flowers. It grows in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
Lissanthe is a genus of about 10 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Lissanthe are small, erect to spreading shrubs with egg-shaped to oblong leaves. Up to 17 bisexual flowers are arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of branches, the 5 petals joined at the base to form a cylindrical to urn-shaped tube with triangular lobes.
Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.
Trochocarpa is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae native to Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Malesia. Plants in the genus Trochocarpa are shrubs or small trees, the leaves with more or less parallel veins, flowers in small clusters, each with 5 sepals, petals joined to form a cylindrical or bell-shaped tube, and the fruit a more or less spherical drupe.
Rostellularia adscendens is an Australian plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It grows to between 10 and 50 cm high.
Stenanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. Most are low shrubs with leaves that are paler on the lower surface, tube-shaped flowers and with the fruit a drupe. There are three species, formerly included in the genus Astroloma.
Veronica calycina, commonly known as hairy speedwell or cup speedwell, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a trailing perennial with dark green leaves, purple-blue flowers and is endemic to Australia.
Pimelea glauca, commonly known as smooth riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has elliptic to more or less lance-shaped or linear leaves and creamy-white flowers arranged in heads of seven or more on the ends of the stems, with four lance-shaped to egg-shaped bracts at the base of the inflorescence.
Cyperus concinnus is a sedge of the family Cyperaceae that is native to Australia, and found in New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.
Goodenia paradoxa, commonly known as spur velleia or spur goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is a perennial herb covered with soft hairs, and has egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with toothed edges and yellow flowers on an ascending flowering stem.
Chenopodium spinescens is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to all mainland states and territories of Australia where it is known as Rhagodia spinescens.
Styphelia pendula is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, straggling shrub with oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.
Goodenia glabra, commonly known as shiny pansy or smooth goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to drier inland areas of Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying herb with lobed, oblong to egg-shaped leaves, and racemes of yellow flowers with purplish markings.
Myristica insipida, commonly known in Australia as Australian nutmeg, Queensland nutmeg or native nutmeg, is a small rainforest tree in the family Myristicaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is closely related to the commercially-important species of nutmeg, M. fragrans.
Lechenaultia tubiflora, commonly known as heath leschenaultia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a hemispherical subshrub or more or less erect perennial with crowded, narrow, rigid leaves and variably-coloured, tube-shaped flowers.
Goodenia arguta, commonly known as spur velleia, or grassland goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to continental Australia. It is a glabrous perennial with a rosette of leaves at the base of the plant and ascending flowering stems with deep yellow flowers.
