Information sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/areca_catechu http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60278/ http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/betel %20Palm.html Photography Locations CII-Godrej GBC, Hyderabad http://i.pbase.com/o2/12/182212/1/96619813.o58 BG9S4.AncientCities393.jpg http://www.yogabuffs.com/images/uploads/betel %20WHOLE%20L.JPG
Native: Africa & Asia Family: Arecaceae Height: 20m Leaf Shape: Pinnate Evergreen medium Sized Tree Edible Grown for its commercially Confederation important of Indian seed Industry crop, the areca nut
Hindi: च मरप ष प chamarpushpa, ग व क guvak, ग आ, प ग pug, प ग pugi, प ग pungi, स प र supari, Manipuri: Khongdrum Tamil: அட க க ய atai-k-kay, சக ந தம chakuntam, ச மரப ட பம chamara-putpam, Telugu: ఘ ట ghonta, క రమ క మ kramukamu, ప క poka Marathi: प फळ pophal, प ग pug, प गफल pugaphal, Malayalam: kamuk, kavung Kannada: ಅಡಕ adake, ಅಡ ಕ adike Sanskrit: अक ट akoth, च मरप ष प chamarpushpa
Mythology The areca nut and the betel leaf are such important symbols of love and marriage The tradition of chewing areca nuts starts the talk between the groom's parents and the bride's parents about the young couple's marriage The tradition is a good illustration of the belief that the combination of areca nut and the betel leaf is ideal to the point that they are practically inseparable, like an idealized married couple
Areca (a-reek-uh) catechu (KAT-eh-choo) One of the interior landscaping species
This palm is often erroneously called the betel tree because its fruit, the areca nut, is often chewed along with the betel leaf
Leaves are 1.5-2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets
Flowers have six tepals, stalkless, creamy-white and fragrant. Female flowers borne at the Confederation base andof Indian numerous Industry male flowers extending from there out to the branch tip
Female flowers are larger (1.2 2 cm long), with six small sterile stamens Male flowers are minute, deciduous with six stamens and arrowhead-shaped anthers Both male and female same inflorescence flowers borne Confederation in the of Indian Industry
Fibrous, ovoid fruits, yellow to orange or red when ripe, contain the betel nut
Seed contains alkaloids such as arecaine and arecoline, which when chewed is intoxicating and is also slightly addictive The seed is one of the major ingredient of pan making
Medicinal Value Used in the preparation of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicines Powdered areca nut is used as a constituent in some tooth powders Removal of tapeworms and other intestinal parasites by swallowing a few teaspoons of powdered areca nut, drunk as a decoction, or by taking tablets containing the extracted alkaloids
A perfume is obtained from the flowers in Malaysia Chewing the mixture of areca nut and betel leaf is a tradition, custom or ritual The nuts are made into beads and other fancy articles Used in preparation of Utensils
Toxicity Regular chewers of betel leaf and areca nut have a higher risk of damaging their gums and acquiring cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus and stomach
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