Areca catechu

taxobox
name = "Areca catechu"

---

image_caption = Fruiting specimen
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Monocots
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Arecales
familia = Arecaceae
genus = "Areca"
species = "A. catechu"
binomial = "Areca catechu"
binomial_authority = L. [cite web
url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?3903
title=Areca catechu information from NPGS/GRIN
publisher=www.ars-grin.gov
accessdate=2008-03-02
last=
first=] |

"Areca catechu" is the areca palm or areca nut palm, (Malay: Pinang), a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa.

This palm is often erroneously called the betel tree because its fruit, the areca nut, is always chewed along with the betel leaf, a leaf from a vine of the Piperaceae family.

Growth

It is a medium-sized and graceful palm tree growing straight to 20 m tall, with a trunk 20-30 cm in diameter. The leaves are 1.5-2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets. It is also known as "Puga" in Sanskrit, "Supari" in Marathi.

Characteristics

"Areca catechu" is grown for its economically important seed crop, the areca nut. The seed contains alkaloids such as arecaine and arecoline, which when chewed is intoxicating and is also slightly addictive. Areca palms are grown in India, Malaysia, Taiwan and many other Asian countries for their seeds.

Etymology

Penang Island, off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Fua Mulaku in the Maldives and Guwahati in Assam, India, are some of the places named after a local name for areca nut.

Uses

The Areca palm is also used as an interior landscaping species. It is often used in large indoor areas such as malls and hotels. It won't fruit or reach full size. Indoors it is a slow growing, low water, high light plant that is sensitive to spider mite and occasionally mealy bug. The areca nut is also popular for chewing throughout some Asian countries such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippine, Malaysia, and India. Chewing areca nut is quite popular among working classes in Taiwan. The nut itself can be addictive and has direct link to mouth cancers. Areca nut in Taiwan will usually contain artificial additives such as limestone powder.

The extract of "Areca catechu" has been shown to have antidepressant properties, [cite web
url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/12614/ABSTRACT
title=Wiley InterScience: Journal: Abstract
publisher=www3.interscience.wiley.com
accessdate=2008-03-02
last=
first=] but it may be addictive. [cite web
url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jZeaRiIFbhsC&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=antidepressant+herbs+list&source=web&ots=O_yawVv4o6&sig=-eCNICaGnqXkvIvqg6wOrc7dTfc&hl=en#PPA108,M1
title=The Psychopharmacology of Herbal ... - Google Book Search
publisher=books.google.com
accessdate=2008-03-03
last=
first=]

References

External links

* [http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/betelnut_landing.html Plant Cultures: Betelnut botany and history]
* [http://www.goldenagro.com/image/betelnut/index.htm Photos of The fruit of "Areca catechu"]
* [http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=107 "Areca catechu" List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)]

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