Pandanus

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pænˈdeɪnəs/

Definitions

1. A genus of tropical plants characterized by elongated, spiky leaves and frequently bearing sweet, edible fruits
2. A group of tropical plants identifiable by their long, narrow leaves with sharp edges and often producing fruits that can be eaten
3. A type of tropical flora known for its pointed leaves and commonly bearing fruits that are edible

Etymology: The screwpine is a tree of tropical coasts and islands, and its name in English comes from a Malay word for a plant whose leaves were prized for weaving. The Malay "pandan" names the fragrant screwpine, and European botanists took that word and gave it a Latin dress, creating the New Latin "pandanus" as the scientific name for the genus. The ending "-us" is simply the Latin masculine form tacked onto the borrowed Malay stem, a common move when naturalists named plants from languages of distant lands. The surprise is that the botanical name began as a label for a plant that Malay speakers knew well for practical reasons. Its long, sword-like leaves, which grow in spirals up the trunk, were split and dried for mats, baskets and roofing, and its fruit was eaten. When European scientists adopted the name, they carried over the local word rather than inventing a new one, so a term from the Malay-speaking world now sits in the standard vocabulary of Western botany.