Plants of Okinawa: Pandanus Palm or Screw Pine

Some Sharp Leaves

 

 

These plants grow on many Pacific islands at elevations near sea level.

There are many varieties of the tree, called Adan (アダン) in Japan.

Pandanus odoratissimus, grow pretty much in the wild on all Okinawa's islands. 

The sharp spines on the leaves of this tree are something you don't want to run into.

For the past few days, I have been handling them.

It seems they are in the way, keeping me from getting too close to a bird I want to photograph.

Snip, snip, snip, about an hour each day, gets me closer and closer to that bird.

The hole in the jungle, near the beach, will just be a crawlspace.

That way, nobody will notice me, coming or going as,  I crawl carefully and quietly.

The little barbs on the edges of those leaves make you bleed and get stuck in your skin.

Maybe the Creator invented them to make people keep their clothes on in the jungle.

Once the bird photo is taken, I never want to mess with those plants again.

More About Pandanus

 

 

 

An outstanding photo of the Screw Pine Fruit by RyukyuRusty appears here.

Bakers may wish to try making some Screw Pine Cake from these leaves. 

Pandan paste found in specialty markets could save you from messing with the plants.

ARKive lists a variety of this tree which is considered vulnerable by the IUCN. 

Baskets woven from the leaves of the plant may be see in an Australian museum.

For more information, visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Database.

 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) can provide you with free images of the tree.