Common Name:

General Information

Pandanus rabaiensis is an evergreen tree growing up to 20 metres tall[]. It has sharp conical spines on the bole, small conical spines on the stilt-roots[].
The leaves are harvested from the wild and woven to make mats, baskets etc. The tree is also planted for soil conservation and is also grown as an ornamental in gardens[].
This species almost meets the requirements for listing as' Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2008)[]. It has a restricted area of occupancy (less than 2,000 km²) and there is continuing decline in extent and quality of habitat especially in the Kenyan coastal forests. However, the species is found in more than ten locations and so it is currently listed as 'Near Threatened'[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania.

Habitat

Swamps, limestone, white sand, riverine forest[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally grow well in most moist, well-dained soils and a sunny position[]
Branches do not have dormant buds and so will not resprout if cut back into the old wood[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruits and seed are required.

Edible Uses

Although no specific records have yet been seen for this species, most members of this genus have more or less edible fruits, seeds and inner leaf bases[].
The cylindrical fruit is a syncarp made up of a number of individual drupes[]. Individual drupes are hard, woody wedges - each containing a few, slender seeds[]. Each wedge has a fleshy base imbued with a sweet-smelling, orange pulp that in many species has a delicious flavour[]. This pulp needs to be cooked in order to destroy a deleterious substance[]. The syncarp of this species is 7 - 20cm x 5.5 - 12cm[].
The seed often has a delicious nutty flavour when eaten raw or cooked, though it is fiddly to extract[]. Seeds contain 44 - 50% fat and 20 - 34% protein[].
Inner base of young leaves - raw[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is planted for soil conservation[].

Other Uses

The leaves are used for making baskets, mats etc[].
The leaves are 90 - 300cm long by 47 - 66mm wide with spines on the margins and midrib[].

Propagation

Seed - best pre-soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing[].

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