Pandanus odoratissimus, commonly known as the fragrant screw pine or kewda, is a coastal tropical plant celebrated for its architecture and highly aromatic flowers. This species typically grows as a small tree or sprawling shrub with a stout, often leaning trunk ringed with old leaf scars and supported by distinctive stilt roots that brace it against wind and shifting sands. Its long, blade-like leaves spiral around the branches in tight whorls, forming the characteristic “screw” pattern that gives the genus its name; the leaf margins are armed with sharp spines, offering protection from herbivores. In season, the plant produces intensely fragrant, creamy-white male inflorescences whose scent is prized in traditional perfumery, especially in the preparation of kewda attar. Adapted to salty winds and sandy soils, Pandanus odoratissimus thrives along shorelines and dunes from South Asia through Southeast Asia and into the Pacific, where it provides erosion control, wildlife habitat, and numerous cultural uses—from weaving materials to aromatic extracts—making it an ecologically and economically important coastal species.