This stamp from Dahomey depicts kenaf, a plant used to make paper products. The screw pine, commonly called pandanus, is amply represented on postage stamps, particularly those of French Polynesia and the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Figure 7 shows this strip of 9-franc stamps. In 1971, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands issued a lengthy set that displays typical island activities. Pandanus thrives in tropical and semitropical regions, requiring constant heat and moisture.
Suckers arise from the base of the plant and, where cultivated, are removed to start new plants.
Woven into mats, floor covers and baskets, pandanus also is used for thatching. It is also used as carpet backing. The fiber is obtained from the inner bark. The young shoots are eaten as greens. Grown for its fiber from Egypt to Japan, but more importantly in India and Bangladesh, jute requires a warm, moist climate and loamy soil.