Freycinetia

views updated

Freycinetia (family Pandanaceae) A genus of plants, nearly all of which are bole-climbers. The leaves are strap-like, with spiny margins. The plants are dioecious. The inflorescences often have showy bracts, purportedly bird- or bat-pollinated. The fruits are fleshy berries, in spherical or cylindrical heads. There are about 175 species, occurring in warm temperate and tropical forests, from Sri Lanka eastward to the Pacific islands.