Spiral Pandanus

About

A small tree of northern Australia's savanna woodlands and floodplain margins, growing to about 10 m with strap-like leaves crowded and spiralling toward the branch tips. Its segmented fruit ripens to orange or red and is a traditional food and fibre source for Aboriginal people.

How to spot it

Leaves 1-2 m long and 4-7 cm wide, spirally arranged with sharp spines along the margins and midrib; dead leaves hang in a skirt below the crown, and leaf-base scars spiral visibly down the trunk.

Found in

• Kakadu National Park
• Litchfield National Park
• Nitmiluk National Park
• Berry Springs Nature Park