Arecaceae
Areca

Areca macrocalyx Zipp. ex Blume

First published in Rumphia 2: 75 (1839)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Maluku to Papuasia. It is a tree and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44393394/44422777

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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
Slender to robust, single-stemmed palm to 25 m tall, 6–10 leaves in crown
Morphology Stem
Stem 2.5–25 cm diam. Leaf to 2.5 m long (including petiole); crownshaft to 150 cm long, green to dark green (reddish-green to bright red in some populations); petiole lacking or to 10 cm long; leaflets 6–75 on each side of rachis, regularly to irregularly arranged, single to multifold, linear to sigmoid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 10–65 cm long, erect to pendulous, protogynous, branched to 1 order (sometimes basal-most rachillae branched again), branches spirally arranged, more congested distally; peduncle to 10 cm long; rachillae to 41 cm long, to 3 mm wide, much less robust than rachis, numerous (12–600), cream to green, sinuous to zigzag, triads distichously arranged, 1–5 complete triads at the very base of each rachilla, male portion of rachilla very slender, and drying and falling after anthesis, the inflorescence becoming congested, club-like in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flower ca. 14 × 7 mm, stamens 6 Female flower ca. 20 × 15 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit to 5 × 3 cm, usually obovoid, with short beak, mesocarp fibrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed 3 × 2 cm, ovoid, rounded apically and flattened basally.
Distribution
The most widespread species of Areca in East Malesia, distributed from Maluku through New Guinea to the Solomon Islands.
Ecology
In forest from sea-level to 1,500 m, sometimes cultivated around villages.
Vernacular
Are (Sayal), Ariki (Onate), Aupmo (Keroom), Kasimya (Gebe), Kasmai (Waigeo), Men (Mianmin), Mon (Matbat), Monbat (Matbat), Muncu sirbi (Arfak), Owee (Yamur), Puaxau (Krisa), Piawan (Wandamen), Pinang Hutan (Indonesia), Rigi (Kotte), Ripafe (Sumeri), Rofero (Irarutu), Sasoro (Sumuri), Sias (Karon), Sung-geri (Amungkal), Sunggeri-Piawan (Wandamen), Torheru Nyi (North Cyclops), Wauneb (Amungkal), Wissara (Waskuk).
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN 2013).
Note
Morphological variation is complex, perhaps as a response to different habitat types, occurring as it does in a wide range of ecological conditions from littoral and swampy areas in lowlands to heath forest in lower montane vegetation, and from rainforest to drier areas in savannah lands. Specimens from different localities can appear very different. However, morphology overlaps and it has proved impossible to accept reliable separate taxa. The narrow species concept used in the past reflects limited information obtained from single  collections and, with many more recent specimens, proves to be unworkable. For a full discussion, see Heatubun et al. (2012a). Areca macrocalyx is easy to distinguish from other Areca species in New Guinea by the congested, club-like fruiting inflorescence. The male-only portions of the rachillae are thin and dry after anthesis and fall off as the fruits mature leaving a spike-like structure. It is very well represented in herbaria.Flynn (2004) analysed Areca in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands using a morphometric approach, and concluded that seven species (A. congesta, A. jobiensis, A. ledermanniana, A. multifida, A. nannospadix, A. rostrata and A. warburgiana) should be included within A. macrocalyx (two of these A. congesta and A. ledermanniana are now considered names of uncertain application, along with A. glandiformis; see below).
[PONG]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/38187/10099336

Conservation
DD - data deficient
[IUCN]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use
Often used as a substitute for betel chewing when A. catechu is unavailable. Stems and leaves are used for building materials (flooring and thatch for huts or temporary shelters) and fruits are used for medicine. The red crownshaft form from the Finschhafen area of Papua New Guinea is a much- prized ornamental. Young shoot (heart-of-palm) is edible. The fruit is eaten by the northern cassowary (Pangau-Adam & Mühlenberg 2014).
[PONG]

Common Names

english
highland betel nut palm

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Palms of New Guinea

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0