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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.
