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The areca nut (/ ˈ ær ɪ k ə / or / ə ˈ r iː k ə /) or betel nut is the fruit of the areca palm (Areca catechu). The palm is originally native to the Philippines , [ 1 ] [ 2 ] but was carried widely through the tropics by the Austronesian migrations and trade since at least 1500 BCE due to its use in betel nut chewing . [ 1 ]
Common names in English include areca palm, areca nut palm, betel palm, betel nut palm, Indian nut, Pinang palm and catechu. [1] This palm is commonly called the betel tree because its fruit, the areca nut , which are often chewed along with the betel leaf , a leaf from a vine of the family Piperaceae .
The best-known member of the genus is A. catechu, the areca nut palm. [ 1 ] [ 4 ] Several species of areca nuts, known for their bitter and tangy taste, raw or dried, are routinely used for chewing, especially in combination with the leaves of betel and dried leaves of tobacco .
The type member of Arecaceae is the areca palm (Areca catechu), the fruit of which, the areca nut, is chewed with the betel leaf for intoxicating effects. Carnauba wax is harvested from the leaves of South American palms of the genus Copernicia. Rattans, whose stems are used extensively in furniture and baskets, are in the genus Calamus.
Betel leaf and Areca nut consumption in the world. The betel leaf is cultivated mostly in South and Southeast Asia, from India [6] to Papua New Guinea. [7] It needs a compatible tree or a long pole for support. Betel requires well-drained fertile soil. Waterlogged, saline and alkali soils are unsuitable for its cultivation. [8]
The small variety of areca nut (botanical name Areca catechu) is termed in Malayalam as kooradakka. The adakka or kamuku as it is called locally is grown in south India mainly in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Vattamkulam village in Malappuram district of Kerala is historically renowned for its special kooradakka.
Areca Nut in Mysore, Karnataka. Areca nut stem, sheaths and fruit bunches The areca nut fruit. In 1990–91 the area under areca nut plantation was 208,400 hectares (515,000 acres) and production was 249,300 tonnes. [4] During 2013–14 its production was 729,810 tonnes from an area of 445,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres).
Traditionally, areca nut has been used as an aphrodisiac, anorectic, digestive stimulant, and diuretic, as well as in the treatment of asthma, cough, dermatitis, fainting, glaucoma, erectile dysfunction, worm diseases, leprosy, toothache, and vaginal discharge, as well as to constrict the vagina.