he fruit commonly has the general shape of the female inflorescence,
but as it matures it increases greatly in size. Pandans have a
composite fruit made up of smaller fruits called drupes. The most
common forms resemble the pineapple with its leafy fruit apex cut
off. As is natural, variations from this type occur. Cylindrical,
eggshaped, jackfruit-like forms are quite common. The largest may
be 60 cm. long and weigh 25 kilos, the smallest only 7 cm. in length
and 60 grams in weight. The fruit may occur solitary at the end of a
branch, or in groups. The color is green, though some species change
to a bright red before maturity is reached. The fruit may have drupes
ranging from 12 mm. to 14 mm. in length and these may contain one
seed or a number of seeds. At maturity the drupes separate and the
fruit falls apart. If the plant occurs along the water, the seeds,
when liberated, float about until they rest in a suitable place
for germination.

Uses of Pandans.

Pandans are valued chiefly for their strong fibrous leaves, which are
woven into mats, bags, and hats. Unless specially prepared, the soft
plant tissue between the harder leaf fibers becomes dry and dirty
and breaks in time; hence the ordinary pandan bag or mat can not
be considered a durable article. However, when treated to a boiling
process or when rolled, as explained for sabutan and the pandan of
Majayjay, the leaves yield straw which is stronger and more durable
than most palm or sedge straw used for the same purposes.

Pandan mats are important articles of domestic commerce in Malaysia,
as it is estimated that four-fifths of the total population use them
for sleeping purposes. In all places except where palms, like the
buri or sedges occur, they yield the most suitable and most easily
prepared mat material. Generally the whole leaf is utilized after
removing the marginal and midrib spines. The coarsest mats are used
in drying out copra, cacao beans, paddy, and such products. Pandan
mats are made and used widely in the Philippines.

Formerly, before gunny sacks came into general use, coffee was packed
in pandan bags and where pandans did not grow they were introduced
and cultivated for that purpose. Even to-day bags from pandan play
an important part in transporting sugar, coffee, and other tropical
products in and around southern Asia. Few pandan bags are made in
the Philippines in comparison with the enormous quantity of bayons
woven of buri straw a