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Areca
catechu L.
Synonym : Areca hortensis Lour.
Family : Arecaceae
Local Names : Adakkamaram, Kavungu, Areca palm,
Betel nut palm
Flowering
and fruiting period:
Throughout the year
Distribution: Cultivated from India to the Solomon Islands
and less commonly in Africa and Tropical America
Habitat: Cultivated
IUCN
status:
Data Deficient
Endemic:
No
Uses: Fruits edible, tender leaves edible. Seed (nut) is aromatic and astringent, and
can be addictive. It is used against anaemia, fits, leucoderma, leprosy, and
obesity, and is also a purgative and an ointment for nasal ulcers. In India,
the nut has been used to treat tapeworms. Chewing on the seeds (nuts) produces
euphoria, heightened alertness, sweating, salivation, and an increased capacity
to work, and alkaloid arecoline, which is found in the nut, accounts for these
effects. Tannins, which are found in betel nut, were traditionally being used
for dyeing clothes.
