1238

 Pandanus palakkadensis Nadaf, Zanan and Wakte

Family	:	Pandanaceae
Flowering and fruiting period	:	July-October
Distribution	:	Southern Western Ghats
Distribution in kerala	:	Palakkad
Habitat	:	Growing along the margins of paddy fields and on the banks of streams
Key botanical characters :   Large shrubs, divaricately branched upwards.Leaves linear, both margins and midvein spiny with three rows all along leaf; spines sharp, dense, black and pointed; spines crowded towards apex, marginal spines present. Staminate inflorescence terminal, compound spike; spathe 100-120 cm long; bracts 9-10, yellowish, linear, lanceolate with variable length, margin and midrib prickled, moderately fragrant; staminate spike 6-15 × 2 cm, cylindrical; androphore 0.6-0.8 cm long, stemonophore 0.3-0.4 cm long with 8-10 stamens; stamens 0.3-0.4 cm long; filaments 0.1 cm long, arranged in pairs; anther 0.2-0.3 cm long. Infructescence terminal, 1-2 fruits per infructescence, a solitary syncarp, cylindrical, bracteate, bracts 7-9, linear, lanceolate with variable length, margin and midrib prickled; drupes 1500-1600 per infructescence, hexagonal, pileus flat, smooth Seeds 1 per locule, ellipsoid.