Screwpine
Pandanus tectorius
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- August-October
How to identify Screwpine
Identify Screwpine by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Leaves traditionally used for thatch and weaving.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-October.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Pandanaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Screwpine.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Pandanus tectorius
- Genus
- Pandanus
- Family
- Pandanaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Native to
- Old World Tropics
- Distribution
- Old World Tropics
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-October
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
Typical of the Pandanaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Inflorescence
- Umbel
- Fruit
- Drupe
Typical of the Pandanaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Bengali
- কেয়া বা কেতকী
About Screwpine
Screwpine (Pandanus tectorius) belongs to the Pandanaceae family, where it grows as a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and 3 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from August to October.
Uses
It is grown for parts that are eaten, long used in traditional medicine and cut for timber and furniture. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
In culture
It carries a body of folklore around it.
Pandanaceae
Screw-Pine Family
Screwpine belongs to the Pandanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Pandanaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Screwpine or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides