A History of Agriculture in India v2.c69.s2.4

v2.c69.s2.4

The *Keora*. ‘The (H.) *kiūra* (*Pandanus odoratissimus*, the screw-pine) is another (Fig. 25). It has a very agreeable perfume. Musk has the defect of being dry; this may be called moist musk—a very agreeable perfume. The tree’s singular appearance notwithstanding, it has flowers perhaps 13½ to 18 inches (35.³ to 45.7 cm) long. It has long leaves having the character of the reed (P) *gharau* and having spines. Of these leaves, while pressed together bud-like, the outer ones are the greener and more spiny; the inner ones are soft and white. In amongst these inner leaves grow things like what belongs to the middle of a flower, and from these things comes the excellent perfume. When the tree first comes up not yet shewing any trunk, it is like the bush of the male-reed, but with wider and more spiny leaves. What serves it for a trunk is very shapeless, its roots remaining shewn.