Areca palm

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Betel Nut Palm
• Indian-nut
• Pinang palm
• areca palm
• areca-nut
• areca-nut palm
• betel palm
• betel-nut palm
• betelnut
• catechu

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Areca macrocarpa
• Areca catechu var. nigra
• Areca catechu var. alba
• Areca catechu var. batanensis
• Areca catechu var. longicarpa
• Areca catechu var. silvatica
• Areca catechu f. communis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Areca catechu, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Arecales and the family Arecaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement within the genus Areca.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several distinct tropical and subtropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted specifically in Guinea. Moving toward the Western Indian Ocean, it can be found growing in the Comoros. The species also occupies significant portions of East Asia, including Taiwan and the Hainan province of China. Furthermore, its range extends into the South-Central regions of mainland China.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Areca catechu is characterized by its preference for specific altitudinal gradients and complex structural environments. This species typically thrives within an elevational range spanning from 400 m to a maximum of 1600 m AMSL. Within its natural landscape, it is frequently integrated into the canopy habitat, where it interacts with the layered structure of the forest to access sunlight and moisture. Regarding its biological survival strategies, the plant exhibits no significant specialized chemical or physical defense mechanisms as defined by its primary ecological profile.

Defense :

no

Elevational range max:

1600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

400 m AMSL

Habitat :

canopy

Life history

The life history of Areca catechu is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, maintaining its presence in the ecosystem over many successive years. As a phanerophyte, it possesses long-lived shoots that extend well above the ground, providing a permanent structural presence. This species is fundamentally evergreen, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and green throughout the year without a significant deciduous period. Its growth strategy as a phanerophyte further defines its stature, allowing it to establish a dominant vertical profile within its tropical habitat.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Areca catechu is characterized by a woody, self-supporting growth form, primarily functioning as a tree or palm. It is a terrestrial, independent species that does not exhibit parasitic or epiphytic behavior. The plant displays an erect shoot orientation, with a maximum shoot length reaching up to 2500 cm. In terms of stature, the plant height typically ranges from a minimum of 10 m to a maximum of 30 m, with a mean height of approximately 17.5 m. Additionally, the tree features a maximum diameter at breast height (DBH) of 30 cm.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

DBH max:

30 cm

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

30 m

Plant height mean:

17.5 m

Plant height min:

10 m

Shoot length max:

2500 cm

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Areca catechu is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation efficiency. The vegetative development of the plant is prominently marked by its foliage, where leaf lengths exhibit significant variability; the mean leaf length is recorded at 165 cm, with individual leaves ranging from a minimum of 130 cm to a maximum of 315 cm. Structurally, the leaves are characterized by the absence of leaf spines. Furthermore, regarding its nutrient acquisition capabilities, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the availability of nitrogen within the soil medium for its growth and physiological maintenance.

Leaf length max:

315 cm

Leaf length mean:

165 cm

Leaf length min:

130 cm

Leaf spines :

no

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Areca catechu is characterized by a complex interplay of pollination mechanisms and specific fruit and seed morphologies. The plant utilizes an abiotic pollination syndrome, with wind identified as a primary vector for pollen transfer. The resulting fruits exhibit significant morphological variation, typically appearing in an orange color. The dimensions of these fruits vary, with a mean length of 5.25 cm (ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 8 cm) and a mean width of 4.75 cm (ranging from a minimum of 3.5 cm to a maximum of 6 cm). Following fruit development, the seeds produced are consistent in mass, maintaining a steady value of 20.8 g, which serves as a key metric in the plant's reproductive output.

Fruit colour :

orange

Fruit length max:

8 cm

Fruit length mean:

5.25 cm

Fruit length min:

3 cm

Fruit width max:

6 cm

Fruit width mean:

4.75 cm

Fruit width min:

3.5 cm

Pollination syndrome :

wind

Pollination syndrome :

abiotic

Seed mass mean:

20.8 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Areca catechu has 4 reported plant parts identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, flower, fruit, leaf.

Seed

1. Heliyon
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences
3. Oncology letters
4. Analytica chimica acta
5. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Flower

1. BMC genomics
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Fruit

1. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Areca catechu has 141 reported phytochemicals identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include arecoline, Arecaidine, Guvacine, N-NITROSOGUVACOLINE, Guvacoline.

arecoline

1. Dr. Duke
2. Carcinogenesis
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Oral diseases
5. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society

Arecaidine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Carcinogenesis
3. IARC scientific publications
4. Archives of oral biology
5. Journal of oral pathology & medicine : official publication of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and the American Academy of Oral Pathology

Guvacine

1. Dr. Duke
2. IARC scientific publications
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Journal of biomedical science
5. Annals of human biology

N-NITROSOGUVACOLINE

1. Cancer research
2. IARC scientific publications
3. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology
4. Cancer letters
5. Carcinogenesis

Guvacoline

1. Dr. Duke
2. IARC scientific publications
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
4. Journal of biomedical science

Nitrosamines

1. The British journal of nutrition
2. Diabetologia
3. Carcinogenesis
4. Oral oncology

Tannin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of the National Cancer Institute
3. Oral oncology
4. Carcinogenesis

(+)-catechin

1. Experientia
2. Journal of dental research
3. Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Flavonoids

1. Food chemistry
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

Tannins

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. International journal of cancer
3. Oral oncology

Activities

Areca catechu has 415 reported activities identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic, Carcinogenic, Antibacterial, Mutagenic, Anticancer.

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Mutation research
4. Hunan yi ke da xue xue bao = Hunan yike daxue xuebao = Bulletin of Hunan Medical University
5. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

Carcinogenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. The National medical journal of India
3. International journal of cancer
4. Oral oncology
5. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. International dental journal

Mutagenic

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Mutation research
3. Nutrition and cancer
4. Oral oncology

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Cardiotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Tropical doctor

Genotoxic

1. Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology
2. Oral oncology

Medicinal Uses

Areca catechu has 70 reported medicinal uses identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include oral cancer, oral submucous fibrosis, leukoplakia, antioxidant, asthma.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations