BETEL NUT PALM

ARECA CATECHU

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Areca catechu is the areca palm or areca nut palm, (Malay: Pokok 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.

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.

Singapore locations:

NParks FloraWeb:

Family: Arecaceae (Palmae)

Common Name: Areca, Betel-nut Palm, Pinang, Betel Palm, Areca-nut, Pinang Siri

Origin: Malaysia or Philippines

Leaf Colour: Green

Fruit Colour: Red

Description

FormIt is a medium-sized, slender, single-stemmed and graceful palm tree growing straight to 20 m tall, with a trunk 10-15cm in diameter.

LeavesThe leaves are 1.5-2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets. It is also known as Puga in Sanskrit, Supari in Marathi.

Flowers

FruitsThe nut is very hard

Trunk

FLOWERING TIMINGS

J F M A M J J A S O N DLeavesFlowersFruits X X X X

Uses

Areca catechu is grown for its commercially 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. The nut is strongly astiingent and contains up to 25% of catechol tannins. Areca palms are grown in India, Malaysia, Taiwan and many other Asian countries for their seeds.

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, but it may be addictive.

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 mealybug.

Growing from Seeds

1. Collect seeds from below tree

2. Clean fresh seeds

4. Soak in water, change water daily, for 2 – 3 weeks until skin softens

5. Fill bottom of deep pot with LECA

6. Fill with potting mix

7. Arrange seeds on the top, half buried in pot mix, tips facing upwards.

8. Cover with thin layer of gravel mix

9. Water with sprayer daily. Nuts will germinate in 8 – 10 weeks

10. Add diluted liquid fertilizer once a month

11. Can last for 2 to 3 years