Keim et al. (2020) consider this species as a synonym of the more widely distributed Pandanus furcatus.

This species is a small tree endemic to Java in Indonesia, where it is known from only two areas in the Banten and West Java provinces. It has been recorded from the Rana Danau swamp, near Gunung Karanga in Banten province, and from Leuweung Sela-awi near Bogor. The exact area of the latter locality is uncertain. The area of occupancy is currently estimated as only 4–8 km², which falls within thresholds for a threatened category under Criterion B2. Much of the Rana Danau swamp has been converted to rice paddies or human settlements and therefore this species is very likely to be threatened here by the clearance or degradation of its habitat. Surveys are needed to determine if this species is still present in the swamp, as the habitat loss appears to have been particularly severe in the southern part where this species was recorded from. However, part of the northern region of the swamp is formally protected and contains intact habitat, in which this species could be persisting. Targeted surveys throughout the entirety of the swampland, but particularly in the north, are recommended in order to try to determine if this species is still present here, and if so, its population size and distribution within the area. Though the precise area of collection within Leuweung Sela-awi is unknown, there is very little remaining forest at elevations below c. 600 m asl in the Bogor area (this species was recorded here at 300 m asl) and therefore it seems plausible that the species could have been extirpated from this location. The area has a dense human population and the majority of the lowland areas are now occupied by agricultural land or human settlements. Targeted surveys are needed to attempt to rediscover this species in the area before confirming whether it is still present or not. If this species is found to no longer be present in the Bogor area, then the number of locations could be considered to be one. Therefore, to reflect this uncertainty, a range of one–two locations is given for this species. Taking a precautionary approach, this species is assessed here as Critically Endangered B2ab(iii). Targeted surveys are needed at both possible locations to determine the current status of this species. This will give a clearer understanding of its conservation status.

This species is endemic to the Indonesian island of Java, where it is known only from the provinces of West Java and Banten. It has never been seen in Central or East Java (Koorders 1910). Only two specimens are known: one was collected from the Rawa Danau swamp, at the northern foot of Gunung Kabang in Banten province; the second was recorded from Leuweung Sela-awi near Buitenzorg (now Bogor). The precise area of the latter locality is uncertain, as there are several places around Bogor called Sela-awi or Selaawi. This species has been recorded at elevations from 100–300 m asl.

There is no information on the population size, trend or abundance of this species.

This species is a small tree which grows to between 3 and 5 m tall. It appears to grow predominantly in fresh water swamps but is completely absent from saltwater swamps and sandy seashores (Koorders 1910). The two known localities are situated within the Western Java Rain Forests and Western Java Montane Rain Forests ecoregions (Dinerstein et al. 2017).

The southern parts of the Rana Danau swamp have largely been cleared for rice paddies and human settlements, though there is still forest remaining in the southeast part of the swamp. Rice paddies also partly replace natural swamp vegetation in the northern region of the swamp. Vegetation surveys in Rana Danau in 1996 found that the composition of plant species has changed significantly since the 1930s, with previously dominant species being replaced largely by Ficus rubrosyce (van der Kaars et al. 2001). Although the Rana Danau swamp contains the largest and most important area of freshwater swamp habitat remaining on Java, it is also an area that has experienced high levels of disturbance from rice agriculture, fires and human settlements. This species was recorded from the southern part of the swamp, at around 100 m asl near the northern foot of Gunung Kapang. Satellite imagery of this area shows that there is very little natural habitat remaining below 200 m asl (Global Forest Watch 2021), indicating that the habitat at the original site of collection may now have been cleared and converted to agricultural land. Targeted surveys throughout the entirety of the swamp are needed in order to confirm if this species is still extant in the area, though it is possible that it may have been extirpated, especially when considering that the species profile of the swamp appears to have changed considerably during the last century. In particular, a portion of the northern part of the swamp is formally protected and contains intact habitat, and should be thoroughly surveyed to determine whether this species is present. In the Bogor area, it is difficult to infer the current status of this species, due to the uncertainty regarding the exact area from which it was recorded. However, based on satellite imagery and land use data (Global Forest Watch 2021), there is very little forest remaining within the Bogor area at any elevation below c. 600 m asl. This species has not been recorded growing above 300 m asl and therefore it can be inferred that its habitat is likely to have been lost or heavily degraded. The main drivers of this habitat loss and degradation appear to be agriculture and human settlements. Though this species could be persisting in small, remnant patches of forest along roadsides or around field borders, it is also plausible that the species could have been extirpated from the area. Targeted surveys in the Bogor area are needed to try to rediscover this species here.

There are no recorded uses for this species.

This species may be present in the Rawa Dano Nature Reserve (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2021), but targeted surveys are needed before this can be confirmed. There are no ex situ collections (BGCI 2021).