Benstonea thwaitesii (Martelli) Callm. & Buerki

 
  • Family : ARECACEAE
    (Palm Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : NARIYAL FAMILY (नारियल फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Arecaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Pandanus thwaitesii Martelli; Pandanus foetidus var. racemosus Trimen
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Benstonea thwaitesii (Martelli) Callm. & Buerki
  • Habit : Palm
  • Key identification features : Densely branched shrub, 3-6ft, prostrate soboliferous stem; Leaves 4-6ft long, 3-4inches wide, thickly coriaceous, glaucous green, glossy above, closely minutely reticulate on both sides with raised venules, margins, midrib spinous, spines incurved or recurved on the midrib; Male inflorescence short, flexuous, pendulous rhachis, spathes yellow, glossy, with spinulose-ciliate margins and midrib, lower spathes upto 1foot long, abruptly acute, Male spadices sessile within the spathes, 6-10 inches long, fleshy rhachilla densely covered with slender, subulate, flexuous anthers; Female inflorescence similar to male but erect, rachis zigzag, spadices 6-7 in number, ovoid, carpels closely packed, free, linear, polygonal, each terminates in a stiff sharp beak with a narrow stigmatic line from apex to base; Fruit syncarp, 5-7 in pendulous cluster, sessile, globose or ovoid, subtrigonous, surface prickly, glaucous yellowish green, fetid, carpels connate below by glutinous pericarps, crown angular, each terminated by spinescent upcurved stigmas.
  • Distribution :
    • Goa : Goa
    • Karnataka : Karnataka
    • Kerala : Kerala
    • Maharashtra : Maharashtra
    • Tamil Nadu : Tamil Nadu
  • Native : India, Sri Lanka
  • Exotic/Native : Native
  • World Distribution : India, Sri Lanka
  • Literature :
    • A.A.Mao, & Sudhansu Sekhar Dash (Eds.). (2020). Flowering Plants of India An annotated checklist Monocotyledons. Director, Botanical Survey of India.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Benstonea thwaitesii
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Benstonea thwaitesii. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution

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