Stats

Lifespan

Up to 80 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Tropical coastline

Range

Oceania and Southeast Asia

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Uncommon

About

The Thatch Screwpine is a tall, woody plant that grows in the coastal lowlands near the ocean. It is native to the island nations of Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The Thatch Screwpine has an interesting adaptation: it can absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release it into the soil, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps the soil warm and moist.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Liliopsida

Order

Pandanales

Family

Pandanaceae

Genus

Pandanus

Species

Pandanus tectorius