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Dioecious, terrestrial, semi-aquatic or rarely epiphytic (not in Australia) trees or shrubs, sometimes stoloniferous, often with aerial or prop roots with well-developed root caps. Leaves crowded at top of branches, arranged in 3 spirals, amplexicaul at base (in Australia), linear-ensiform, M-shaped in T.S. Male inflorescence branched (in Australia), with large bracts. Male flowers: stamens numerous, usually in umbel-like or racemose arrangements on stemonophores, sometimes inserted directly on rachis. Female inflorescences consisting of 1 or more globular, ellipsoid or cylindric heads (cephalia), nearly hidden within large bracts when flowering. Female flowers of 1–several carpels, each usually uni-ovulate; styles absent or spiniform; stigmas variously shaped. Fruiting heads globular, ellipsoidal or cylindric, of numerous crowded but free drupes or 1 or more polydrupes (phalanges). Endocarp woody. Seed coat thin, membranous. Seeds germinating within fruit. See also Stone (1993: 435), Green (1994: 415). [This description from the Flora of Australia Volume 39 treatment of Pandanaceae by Wilson (2011) may require revision to exclude any elements of the more recently recognised genus Benstonea that has been segregated from Pandanus (see Callmander et al. 2012)-Editor, 21 October 2021.]
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.
