Screw pine

I enjoy learning about the flora and fauna of Taiwan. It's good to know about various common plants and animals when out hiking in the wilderness. We've learned to identify such trees as the camphor tree, Chinese crape myrtle, Chinese banyan, Japanese blue oak, and common machilus, and ferns like the bird's nest fern.

I'd like to briefly introduce the screw pine.



There are numerous species of screw pine in the world. A common species in Taiwan is Pandanus odoratissimus, called lin-tou (林投) by the locals. The specimen above was one we saw on the north coast. They grow in sandy coastal areas. The leaves resemble those of a palm or palmetto, and have spines along the edges. The fruit is edible, and resembles a pineapple. The appearance of the fruit changes considerably as it matures. Though called a "screw pine" it's not a pine, and though it bears a slight resemblance to a palm, it's not a palm.

Here's a detail of its fruit and leaves: