Bakong, Knob-fruited screwpine
Pandanus dubius

Family: Pandanaceae

What it is like

A large erect and branched screwpine with long stilt or prop roots. The trunk has sharp prickles. The roots are covered with vertical rows of pores. The leaves are numerous and spirally arranged and crowded towards the ends of branches. The leaves are broad (20 cm) and about 2 m long with sharp thorns. The edges and midrib are covered with spines. It has a long fruit stalk. It can be 60-80 cm long. It has a large roughly round heavy fruit about 30 cm across. The seeds are large and white. They are edible. They are 1-1.5 cm long. The fruit has about 50 fibrous segments.

There are about 600 Pandanus species. They grow in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. They are widely distributed in wooded areas along the seashore of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is a coastal plant. It grows on coral atolls. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. In Townsville Anderson BG.

Countries/locations it is found in

Andamans, Asia, Australia, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Malaysia, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Pacific (country/location of origin), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pohnpei, Rotuma, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, Vanuatu

How it is used for food

The kernels of the nuts are eaten raw. They are also cooked and stored.

Edible parts

Nuts, seeds

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds. It is usually grown from large cuttings of the ends of branches. The fruit are ready to eat when the fruit looses its white mat like appearance and becomes green.

Its other names

Local names

Aum, Bidur, Boku, Bou, Fa'u da'i, Fao, Faudai, Faum, Fom, Haun lainulun, Hosoa, Kaufa tolo, Kaufadai, Keora, Kipar-n-ai, Kipar en wai, Lau, Lou lou, Meu-yok, Mweng kaki, Navaka, Na vaku, Nonivo, Nyiu nailo, Pafung, Pahong, Pakoa, Pandan pantai, Pandan wong, Pohk, Poko, Poroporo, Taboan, Te kaina, Tekaureiko, Tobi, Tone, Toto, Cadra, Vahara, Vaum

Synonyms

Baratia gaudichaudi Brongn.; Barrotia macrocarpa (Vieill.) Brongn.; Barrotia tetrodon Gaudich.; Hombronia edulis Gaudich.; Pandanus andamanensium Kurz; Pandanus bagea Miq. [Illegitimate]; Pandanus bidouer Jungh.; Pandanus bidur Jungh. ex Miq.; Pandanus compressus Martelli; Pandanus dubius var. compressus (Martelli) B. C. Stone; Pandanus edulis (Gaudich.) de Vriese [Illegitimate]; Pandanus hombronia F. Muell.; Pandanus kafu var. confluentus Kaneh.; Pandanus latifolius Perr.; Pandanus latissimus Blume ex Miq.; Pandanus leram Kurz. [Illegitimate]; Pandanus leram var. andamanensium (Kurz) ined.; Pandanus macrocarpus Vieill.; Pandanus odoratus Thunb. [Illegitimate]; Pandanus pacificus J. H. Veitch; Pandanus tetrodon (Gaudich.) Balf.f.; Pandanus yamaguti Kaneh.;