''Pandanus simplex'' is an economically important species of ''

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

'' (screwpine)

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found elsew ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. It is commonly known as karagumoy (also spelled karagomoy or karagomoi) or kalagimay. Its leaves and fibers are used widely in the Philippines for thatching, ropes, and weaving various traditional handicrafts like baskets and mats.

Taxonomy

''Pandanus simplex'' was first described by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Elmer Drew Merrill Elmer Drew Merrill (October 15, 1876 – February 25, 1956) was an American botanist and taxonomist. He spent more than twenty years in the Philippines where he became a recognized authority on the flora of the Asia-Pacific region. Through t ...

in 1905. It is classified under the

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

''Kurzia'',

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sign ...

''Utilissima''.

Description

Karagumoy typically grows to tall. It has a round trunk around in diameter that is either unbranched or have a few branches.

Prop root Buttress roots also known as plank roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hence t ...

s emerge from the trunk near the base. It has dark green elongated and very thick leaves, around long and wide, with small sharp spines at the edges. The leaves are spirally-arranged leaves at the end of branches. Karagumoy is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

with separate male and female plants. The fruits resemble

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

. They have an elongated capsule shape covered with small spines. They are typically or longer in length, and in width or wider.

Habitat

Karagumoy is found in forests in low to medium elevations.

Uses

Karagumoy leaves and fibers are widely utilized in the Philippines in weaving mats, baskets, hats, and other traditional woven products. They are also used to make ropes or thatching. They are cultivated in farms. Mature leaves are harvested once every three months. The fruits and shoots of the karagumoy are also edible.

Gallery

File:A fruiting karagumoy in a farm patch in Bulusan.jpg, Growth habit File:Karagumoy - Familiar sight in Bulusan's Farm Patches.jpg, Karagumoy in the forest File:Karagumoy bayong.jpg, Karagumoy leaves woven into a basket File:Karagumoy leaves from the farm patch.jpg, Karagumoy leaves being harvested File:Karagumoy strips in Bulusan streets.jpg, Karagumoy leaves laid out on a road File:Karagumoy strips.jpg, Dried karagumoy strips File:Karagumoy hat or kalo weaving in Bulusan.jpg, Karagumoy being woven into a hat (''kalo'')

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15581563

simplex In geometry, a simplex (plural: simplexes or simplices) is a generalization of the notion of a triangle or tetrahedron to arbitrary dimensions. The simplex is so-named because it represents the simplest possible polytope in any given dimension. ...

Flora of the Philippines Taxa named by Elmer Drew Merrill