Trees, shrubs, or herbs, evergreen, dioecious. Stems simple or branched, erect or prostrate, often with stiltlike, verrucose prop roots and aerial roots, sometimes virtually absent, often suckering. Leaves simple, terminal, sessile, densely arranged in corkscrew spirals, 3- or 4-seriate, linear, often spinose-serrate on margin and on keeled midvein abaxially. Inflorescence of large, bracteate heads or spadices; perianth absent. Male inflorescence paniculate with spiciform branches subtended by secondary, usually colored, spathes, branches covered with numerous stamens; flowers not individually distinguishable. Female inflorescence of globose to cylindric clusters or several-carpelled aggregates; flowers not individually distinguishable; carpels 1-ovuled; staminodes absent in female flower; placentation subbasal. Fruit a hard drupe, syncarpous, comprising an aggregation of individual connate, angled, fibrous phalanges; mesocarp sometimes hollow; exocarp fleshy; endocarp woody or bonelike; locules 1 or more; phalanges separating at maturity; stigma persistent, capitate. Seed solitary.

Pandanus utilis Bory, native to Madagascar and cultivated in China, unlike most other species, is both non-suckering and has reddish purple marginal spines (see FRPS 8: 23. 1992; Check List Hong Kong Pl. 297. 2002). Pandanus boninensis Warburg, native to Japan, is also cultivated in China (see FRPS 8: 23. 1992). Pandanus utilis and P. boninensis are cultivated at the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, as is P. pygmaeus Thouars of the Mascarenes (pygmy plant ca. 40 cm).

About 600 species: Old World tropics; six species (one endemic, one introduced) in China.