27 



ground the bifurcation (forking) of the stem results in 

 an odd-shaped crown peculiar to the plant. Aerial roots 

 originate from the stem at some distance from the ground. 

 They first serve to furnish air to the plant, but later pene- 

 trate the ground and act also as prop roots. The leaves 

 are linear in shape, from 1 to 2 m. long and about 6 cm. 

 wide, and provided with sharp spines along the margins 

 and midvein. The fruit, roughly resembling a pineapple 

 with its apex cut off, is about 20 cm. long and made up 

 of small individual parts (drupes) very close together and 

 furrowed on the exposed surface. When ripe, the fruit 

 has a fine red color. The drupes finally loosen from the 

 head and drop off. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Common along the seashore in all parts of the Philippines. 



PREPARATION. 



Removal of the spines from the leaves and drying and 

 bleaching the strips in the sun or by chemical agents (a 

 solution of acids and hydrogen peroxide) are the main 

 elements in the preparation of the strips. At present the 

 strips are seldom used. It is believed, however, that if the 

 same care and attention were given to their preparation 

 as is done with sabutan and Majayjay pandans a satis- 

 factory material could be produced. 



Split strips. — The preparation of split strips is simple, 

 requiring, however, practice to do it with dispatch. The 

 spines are removed from the leaves and the strips are 

 split at the cut-off end with a knife. The two surfaces 

 are then pulled apart. The strips are dried as in the case 

 of other pandans. 



It is much easier to split the leaves after they have 

 been boiled. This makes the material thinner and for some 

 purposes better. However, the color of the material when 

 dried is not as good as when split fresh. 



USES. 



Though abundant in all sea-coast provinces, this pandan 

 is not important economically in any locality of the Philip- 

 pines, though it is occasionally made into hats and mats. 



