areca palm
Areca catechu L.
Areca catechu, known as the areca palm, is a palm species native to the Philippines. It is cultivated for its areca nuts and has been widely dispersed through the tropics since at least 1500 BCE due to its use in betel nut chewing. The species is now naturalized in tropical Asia, Madagascar, the Pacific Islands, and the West Indies.
Description
Areca catechu (L.) is a member of the Arecaceae family and is found in regions such as Taiwan, southern China, the Andaman Islands, Borneo, and the Bismarck Archipelago. It has been carried through trade and migration and is now cultivated and naturalized across tropical regions. The palm is known for its economic and cultural significance, particularly in betel nut consumption.
Other common names
Indian-nutareca palmareca-nutareca-nut palmcatechuPinang palmbetel palmbetel-nut palmbetelnut
Distribution
TW · SC · KM · SG · YT · MV · TZ · IN · PH · KE · East Usambara · BR · Cundinamarca, Valle · MH · Andaman Is. · Bangladesh · Bismarck Archipelago · Borneo · Cambodia · Caroline Is. · China South-Central · Comoros · Dominican Republic · East Himalaya · Fiji · Hainan · Haiti · India · Jamaica · Jawa
Synonyms
Areca cathechuAreca faufelAreca himalayanaAreca hortensisAreca macrocarpaAreca nigraSublimia arecaAreca catechu var. nigraAreca catechu var. albaAreca catechu var. batanensisAreca catechu var. longicarpaAreca catechu var. silvaticaAreca catechu f. communis
