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Screwpine family
Pandanaceae
タコノキ科
A family widely distributed from tropical Asia to Pacific islands. In Japan, Pandanus boninensis is native to Okinawa and the Ogasawara Islands. The trunk produces numerous prop roots (aerial roots) resembling octopus legs, which inspired the Japanese name. Leaves are used as pandan leaf flavoring in cooking.
Key Characteristics
- ●Trunk produces numerous prop roots (aerial roots)
- ●Leaves spirally arranged, elongate, and stiff
- ●Dioecious
- ●Fruit a large compound syncarp
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Parallel
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Shrub / Tree / Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Petal count
3 petals / 4 petals
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Pandanales > Pandanaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 70 Ma onwards)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Structural adaptation to coastal and wetland environments via prop roots
- ・Evolution of dispersal by animals (bats, birds) via large compound fruits
Plants in Screwpine family on this site
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