Areca catechu
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Areca catechu young palm. Photograph courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Guide to Palms http://palmguide.org/index.php |
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Areca catechu leaflets. Photograph courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, Guide to Palms http://palmguide.org/index.php |
Common name
betel nut palm
Description
Stems: Solitary, slender, to 10-12 m tall and 20-25 cm in diameter, with prominent white leafleaf:
in palms -- the leaf blade (which is usually divided into leaflets or leaf segments), the petiole (or leaf stalk) and the sheath (which forms the attachment of the leaf to the stem)
scar rings on a green background that fades to gray with age. Leaves: Pinnate, with a stiffly arching rachisrachis:
an extension of the petiole through the blade of a pinnate leaf to which leaflets are attached
and leaflets held at a roughly 45-degree angle. The two apical leaflets are fused. The leaflets are ridged with 1-3 ribs, and the tips are jagged. The bright green crown shaftcrown shaft:
a cylinder of clasping leaf sheaths toward the apex of the stem, found in some pinnate-leaved palms (e.g., <em>Wodyetia bifurcata</em>)
has a slightly swollen base and is up to 1 m long. Flowers and fruits: The inflorescenceinflorescence:
the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, including palms, consisting of flowers and associated bracts
is about 1 m long and branched to as many as 3 orders with staminatestaminate:
a flower bearing stamens but no pistils; a “male” flower
and pistillatepistillate:
a flower bearing a pistil but no stamens; a “female” flower
, fragrant, yellowish-white flowers. Fruits are orange to red and about 5 cm long.
Diagnostic features
Field: Solitary palm with alternating bands of bright green and white on the stem, below a bright green crown shaftcrown shaft:
a cylinder of clasping leaf sheaths toward the apex of the stem, found in some pinnate-leaved palms (e.g., <em>Wodyetia bifurcata</em>)
; broad, ridged leaflets.
May be confused with
Adonidia merrillii, but Adonidia usually has a larger stem diameter for any given height, and it's fruits are held in much denser clusters. The apical leaflets of Adonidia are not fused as are those of the betel nut palm.
Distribution
Native to India and Southeast Asia to the Philippines and South Pacific, but the palm is a widespread crop plant and has naturalized in many wet tropical areas.
Additional comments
The betel nut palm is cultivated for use as a mild narcotic, a dye, and a veterinary medicine to treat parasitic worms.
Scientific name
Areca catechu L.
Family
Arecaceae/Palmae
Synonyms
Areca faufel Gaertn.
Areca himalayana Griff. ex H.Wendl.
Areca hortensis Lour.
Areca nigra Giseke ex H.Wendl.
