Order: Pandanales

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons

Three of the five families are encountered in southern Africa. There are 36 genera and 1345 species worldwide of which three genera (Talbotia, Xerophyta and Pandanus), and 16 species are native to southern Africa. An additional genus and two species are cultivated in the region.

Families encountered in southern Africa

Velloziaceae About nine genera and 240 species (South America, Africa, Arabia), with two genera and 15 species native to southern Africa.
Pandanaceae (screw-pines) Four genera and about 885 species (West Africa through to the Pacific), with one species Pandanus livingstonianus native to southern Africa (Mozambique). In addition, Pandanus utilis (Common screw-pine), from Madagascar, is cultivated in the region.
Cyclanthaceae Twelve genera and 225 species (South and Central America). Carludovica sp. has been cultivated in southern Africa (Glen 2002).

Families not encountered in southern Africa

Triuridaceae, Stemonaceae