Ganjam Kewda Flower

Pandanus fascicularis Lam., popularly called kewda or screwpine, is a bushy shrub, and a dominant species in the coastal vegetation of India It grows abundantly in the coastal regions of Orissa. The plant grows widely, often forming thickets along roadsides, borders of agricultural fields, banks of rivers and canals and on the seashore. The plant is a bushy shrub with many thick terrestrial stilt roots, and leaf margins with forwardly pointing spinules. The tropical coastal climate, with sandy loamy soil having high organic carbon content and water holding capacity, is most suitable for the growth of this plant. The male flowers are kept in the sachets within wardrobes and boxes to lend a lasting fragrance to the stored clothes. A variety of handicrafts, such as table lamps, vanity bags, files, purses, wall hangings and pen standsare made from the processed leaves, and baskets are made from the processed roots. The plant also has some applications in Indian traditional and folk medicinal practices.