Scientific Name : Areca catechu L.
Common Name : Betel Palm, Areca nut, Pinang
Chinese Name : 檳榔
Family : ARECACEAE
Local distribution status : Exotic species
| Origins | The Philippines. |
|---|---|
| Meanings of name | The specific epithet catechu is derived from the Malayan word caccu, referring to the sap that can be extracted from the plant. Its fruits are edible and always associated with edible lime and betel leaves (Piper betle, Betel) to accelerate plant alkaloids release, hence named as Betel Palm. |
| Vitality | Betel Palm prefers high-temperature, full sunlight, with fertile and well-drained soils. |
| Application |
For those who have travelling experiences in Southeast Asian countries, it is not hard to see the locals clasping a bag of palm nuts on their hands with teeth dyed in red. Betel Palm’s fruit is a notable snack in Southeast Asian countries. The locals always chop the nuts into cubes and eat with edible lime and betel leaves. When chewing, the released Tannin and Arecoline from the nuts not only offer people multiple tastes, but also reduce fatigue. In India, paanwallahas are shops which the fruits are sold in versatile associations with spices. Despite its popularity in Asia, it is always bonded with oral cancer when over-consumed. Since the fruits contain abundant Arecoline that is hallucinogenic, they are termed as drugs in countries like Turkey and Australia and any trading of the nuts is forbidden. Betel Palm is culturally weighty to Taiwan, constituting part of the aboriginal cultures. For example, the sap extracted from the palm is used by the Kebalan for dying fabrics into banana colour. The fruits are ritually important as offerings while the Siraya pray to their deity Ali-zu for prosperity, coupled with other offerings like wine and rice. The fruits are a medium for expressing affection in the Amis tribe. The male Amis can receive a shoulder bag from their female elders when they are teenagers. After four days of harvesting in a year, an Amis girl will put one Betel Palm’s nut into the bag of the boy she has crushed, then the boy will eat it if he shares the same thought as the girl. In respect of the reason, the bag in Amis is named as alofo, referring to ‘valentine bag’. In Hong Kong, however, the application of the palm is limited, barely served as an ornamental palm by virtue of its erect stem and remarkable leaf size. |
| Growing habit | Solitary Palm. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 20 m tall. |
| Stem | Stem arborescent, erect, grey, with notable leaf scars. |
| Leaves | Leaf sheaths overlapping into a crownshaft, green. Pinnate, large, with 20-30 pinnae per side. Pinnae lanceolate, apex obliquely toothed, apical pinnae merged into fishtail-like shape. |
| Flower | Monoecious. Panicles growing at the base of crownshaft, branched to 3 orders, erect, rachillae many. Male flowers alternate and distichous on rachillae, petals 3, yellowish-white, fragrant. Female flowers large, only at the base of rachillae. |
| Fruit | Ovoid or ellipsoid, hard, lustrous, fibrous inside. Fruits turning yellowish orange when ripe. |
| Flowering period | Unknown |
| Fruiting period | Unknown |
Scientific name above is based on Plant of the World Online website :
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:664107-1
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Areca catechu Linnaeus
― GBIF : Areca catechu L.