Pandanus fruit#

Pandanus
Pandanus fruit, Daintree 2007
Photo: H. Maurer

Although these fruits are growing on trees that are often called pandanus palms, they are not really related to palm trees. Oher names are screw palm or screw pine.

They vary in size from small shrubs less than 1 m, to medium-sized trees 20 m.

Male and female flowers grow on different trees.

The fruit is 10-20 cm in diameter and has many prism-like sections, resembling the fruit of the pineapple. Typically, the fruit changes from green to bright orange or red as it matures.

Seeds are mainly distributed through water. But pandanus fruits are also eaten by many animals contributing to the spread of seeds.