Plant of the week: Root of ‘walking’ plant chewed as aphrodisiac

Name: Screwpine (Pandanus odoratissimus)

Otherwise known as: Umbrella tree

Habitat: A tree member of the family Pandanaceae, growing to 6m in marshy and coastal areas of south east Asia on stilt roots. It is not a pine, but a member of the grass family. Believed to originate in Polynesia, it is now spread across the Pacific and naturalised in the southern United States. The leaves, which can grow to over a metre in length, form spirals (hence its name) and are highly aromatic. It is dioecious, having male and female flowers on different plants, and produces pineapple like fruits that grow to 20cm. The fruit is segmented, orange in colour, and not unlike pomegranate seeds in appearance, but only eaten in times of famine due to its unpleasant taste.

What does it do: Screwpine is cultivated for its leaf, fruit and oil, which is distilled from the flower bracts. In India the leaves of the tree are given as an offering to the god Shiva and the flowers are cast into temple wells to scent the water. In Borneo and New Guinea it is known as the ‘walking palm’ because the aerial roots move the tree as it matures; it is supposed to possess supernatural powers.

The plant contains alkaloids, glycosides and tannins as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorus and iron and vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. In sub-tropical Asia it is prominent in primary health care, being employed to treat leprosy, syphilis, arthritis, stomach cramps, headaches and rheumatism. The root is chewed as an aphrodisiac and to strengthen gums following attacks of pyorrhoea; an interesting combination it seems.

Screwpine tea is given to nursing mothers to protect against early abortion.

The plant has economic importance in the South Pacific and the West Indies where it is used in native craft industries to make hats, bags, shades, bins and baby-baskets. Seeds from the fruit are dried and strung onto necklaces.

Screwpine leaves are used in the Philipines and Malaysia to flavour steamed rice and meat dishes and colour confectioneries.

Recent research in India indicates that the root of the plant contains anti-diabetic properties.

 

Alexander McCowan is author of The World’s most Dangerous Plants

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