''Pandanus multispicatus'' (Vakwa de Montanny) is a species of

plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...

in the family

Pandanaceae Pandanaceae is a family of flowering plants native to the tropics and subtropics of the Old World, from West Africa to the Pacific. It contains 982 known species in five genera, of which the type genus, ''Pandanus'', is the most important, with s ...

, one of several ''

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with about 578 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. Common names include pandan, screw palm and screw pine. The genus is classified ...

'' species that are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...

Description

This is the only ''

'' of Seychelles that does not become a tree, but rather grows as a low (max 4 meters high), sprawling shrub, the thin stems often lying decumbent along the ground. The fruit bodies resemble corn cobs. Each contains 200-400 individual fruit segments, and several fruit bodies are born together on a stalk.

Distribution and habitat

It grows mainly in rocky areas and was previously very common in the higher mountains of Seychelles (the reason for its local name, "Vakwa de Montanny"). Formerly widespread, it is currently restricted to only eight small and isolated populations. Other indigenous ''

'' of the Seychelles include ''

Pandanus sechellarum ''Pandanus sechellarum'' ("Vakwa maron", also spelled "Vacoa marron") is a species of plant in the Pandan, or Screwpine Family (Pandanaceae). It is one of five species of ''Pandanus'' that are endemic to Seychelles. Description This large speci ...

'', ''

Pandanus hornei ''Martellidendron hornei'' (''Vakwa Parasol'', or ''Vacoa Parasol'') is a species of plant in the Pandan, or Screwpine family (Pandanaceae), one of several ''Pandanus'' species that are endemic to the Seychelles. Description This species is a ta ...

'' and ''

Pandanus balfourii ''Pandanus balfourii'', also known as , is a species of plant in the family Pandanaceae, one of four ''Pandanus'' species that are Endemism, endemic to the Seychelles. Description ''Pandanus balfourii'' is a small, slender, elegant tree of about ...

''. The Madagascan species ''

Pandanus utilis ''Pandanus utilis'', the common screwpine is, despite its name, a monocot and not a pine. It is native to Madagascar and naturalised in Mauritius and the Seychelles. Description The trunk features aerial prop roots. The leaves are linear and spi ...

'' is introduced and is now also widespread.

References

Flora of Seychelles multispicatus Vulnerable plants Endemic flora of Seychelles Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Isaac Bayley Balfour {{Pandanales-stub