Areca catechu L.

Palmae, John Dransfield. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1994

Morphology General Habit

Solitary palm; stem to 15 m. or more, slightly swollen near the base, to 25 cm. in diameter above, pale grey-brown below, rich dark green above in younger parts, with prominent leaf scars 15–20 cm. distant.

Morphology Leaves

Crown shaft to 1 m. or more in length, wider than the trunk, bearing a crown of 8–10 leaves. Leaf-sheath 60–80 cm. long, dark green; leaf to 2 m. long, with petiole to 15 cm. only; leaflets rich dark green, ± 15 on each side of the rachis, densely crowded, rather untidy, tending to droop somewhat at the tips, with 3 or more folds, often tattering at the tips in age, at the base 40–50 cm. long, in mid-leaf ± 70 cm. long, at the leaf tip 15–25 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence erect at first; prophyll thin, to 60 cm. long, 25 cm. wide, pale yellow-green when young and newly exposed, rapidly splitting, drying and falling; peduncle to 20 cm. long by 5 cm. wide; rachillae ± 30 cm. long, stiff, erect or spreading, pale creamy yellow, bearing ivory-white flowers along the lower side only.

sex Male

Male flowers ± 5 mm. long; sepals free, minute, unequal, ± 1 mm. long by 1 mm. wide; petals 3, valvate, ± 5 mm. long by 2 mm. wide, somewhat sinuous; stamens 6, with short filaments and anthers to 4 mm. long by 0.8 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flower with 3 imbricate, triangular sepals ± 1 cm. long by 1.1 cm. wide at base; petals 3, imbricate, ± 1.4 cm. long by 0.9 cm. wide; ovary rounded, ± 8 mm. in diameter; stigmas fleshy, white, glistening at anthesis. Male flowers ± 5 mm. long; sepals free, minute, unequal, ± 1 mm. long by 1 mm. wide; petals 3, valvate, ± 5 mm. long by 2 mm. wide, somewhat sinuous; stamens 6, with short filaments and anthers to 4 mm. long by 0.8 mm. wide.

sex Female

Female flower with 3 imbricate, triangular sepals ± 1 cm. long by 1.1 cm. wide at base; petals 3, imbricate, ± 1.4 cm. long by 0.9 cm. wide; ovary rounded, ± 8 mm. in diameter; stigmas fleshy, white, glistening at anthesis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Young fruit green, ripening dirty yellow, orange or brick-red, ± 5 cm. long by 3.5 cm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed globose, flattened at basal end, ± 2 cm. in diameter; endosperm deeply and finely ruminate, the ruminations reddish brown when fresh.

Habitat

Largely coastal, planted here and there for its nut

Distribution

elsewhere commonly cultivated throughout the wetter parts of Asia and Malesia, country of origin unknown K7 P T3 T6 Z    coastal towns, Amani

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident

Baker, W.J., Barfod, A.S., Cámara-Leret, R., Dowe, J.L., Heatubun, C.D., Petoe, P., Turner, J.H., Zona, S. & Dransfield, J. (2024) Palms of New Guinea. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond. 726 pp.

Morphology General Habit

Moderate to robust, single-stemmed tree palm, to 25(– 30) m tall, 8–12 leaves in the crown, crown shuttlecock- shaped to arching

Morphology Stem

Stem 15–25(–40) cm diam. Leaf 1.5–2.7 m long (including petiole); crownshaft 100–175 × 15–20 cm, green; petiole lacking or short, to 15 cm long; leaflets 20–35 on each side of rachis, not sigmoid, each comprising more than one fold, more or less regularly arranged, in one plane

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 29–80 cm long, divaricate, protandrous, branched two or three orders; peduncle ca. 6 cm long; rachillae ca. 10–40 cm long, numerous, triads distichously arranged with 1–3 complete triads occurring at the base of each rachilla

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Male flower 4.0–7.5 × 2–5 mm, stamens 6 Female flower 12–15 × 7–10 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit 5–7 × 2–4 cm, ovoid to ellipsoid; mesocarp fibrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 3.0–3.5 × 2.5–3.0 cm, variously subglobose to ovoid, more or less flat at base.

Distribution

Of unknown wild origin, the betel palm is widely cultivated throughout New Guinea.

Ecology

Village settings from sea level to over 600 m.

Vernacular

Areca or Areca-nut palm, Betel nut (English), Buai (Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin), Buei (Pala), Mala’chu (Gebe), Malalolef (Gebe), Pinang (Bahasa Indonesia), Pinang Nau (Yapen), Sawu (Wandamen), Vua (Lamekot).

Conservation

Least Concern.

Note

The betel palm is one of the most familiar palms in New Guinea. The origin and dispersal of the betel nut palm and the chewing habit have been discussed for many years (reviewed by Zumbroich 2008). The discovery of A. mandacanii, A. jokowi and A. unipa, apparently all close relatives of A. catechu, in western New Guinea is important because it suggests that New Guinea should be considered alongside the Philippines as a potential area of origin for A. catechu (see Heatubun et al. 2012a).

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 400 - 1600 m.

Morphology General Habit

Árbol

Distribution

Elevation range: 400–1600 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Tree.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39027/10162950

Conservation

DD - data deficient

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Fuel

Used for fuels.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Invertebrate Food

Used as invertebrate food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.

Use Social

Social uses.