Pandanus dubius

Pandanus dubius, commonly known as bakong or knob-fruited screwpine, is a species of Pandanus native to Island [Southeast Asia], New Guinea, and the Western Pacific islands, and possibly also to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Taxonomy

Pandanus dubius was first described by the German botanist Kurt Polycarp [Joachim Sprengel] in 1826. It is classified in the subgenus Rykia, section Hombronia.

Description

Bakong grows to about high with numerous thick prop roots and aerial roots. The leaves are lanceolate in shape with shallow serrations along the edges. The leaves are around long and wide, and dark green in color. Bakong are dioecious, having separate male and female plants. The fruits are globular in shape and are around in diameter.

Habitat

Bakong typically grows on beaches, rocky areas, and limestone outcrops in coastal ecosystems.

Uses

Like other species of pandanus, the leaves of bakong are commonly harvested for weaving mats and other handicrafts in the Philippines, Halmahera, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. Fibers from the roots can also be made into ropes or twine.
The white seeds are edible and taste like coconuts. The flesh of the fruits can also be cooked and eaten. They are eaten in Guam, the Philippines, and Rota Island. Bakong are also commonly cultivated as ornamentals.