Pandanus tree, Anatom, ca.1890

“Many-rooted Pandanus tree. The leaves used for making carpets, the tough leaves for making women’s skirts.” View of trees with prop roots, in front of which stand two men in turbans, one holding the fruit of the tree. Pandanus is a fruiting plant found in China, India, South East Asia, and Oceania where almost every part of the plant is used for housing, clothing and textiles, food, medication, decorative handicrafts, fishing, and religious uses.