Trees & Plants

Areca palm

Fen-foah

Areca catechu L.

Planted in some of the inhabited islands Seed kernel (either raw or cured) is widely used in Maldives for chewing either singly or in combination with lime, betel leaves and tobacco. A decoction of roots is known to cure sore lips. The juice of tender leaves is mixed with oil and

Details

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uses: Seed kernel (either raw or cured) is widely used in Maldives for chewing either singly or in combination with lime, betel leaves and tobacco. A decoction of roots is known to cure sore lips. The juice of tender leaves is mixed with oil and used as an embrocation in cases of lumbago. The nuts are cooling, astringent, diuretic, © digestive, aphrodisiac and emmenagogue. The juice of tender nuts in small doses is a good laxative. The burnt nut is often used as dentifrice. to at
family: Arecaceae
synonym: Areca faufel Gaertn., Areca Th hortensis Lour., Areca cathechu Burm.f as
description: Tall palms, stem erect, hooped, unarmed. Leaves in a terminal crown, to 2 m long; leaflets many, linear or linear- lanceolate, base narrow, apex praemorse; lower ones plicate; upper ones coherent. Spadices several on the axils of fallen leaves, to 50 cm long, branched, shortly peduncled; spikes flexuous or straight, to 30 cm long. Spathes boat-like, coriaceous. Flowers monoecious; lower ones female, 1-3 at spike-base; upper ones male, many. Male flowers ca. 3 mm long; sepals 3, ca. 1 mm long, triangular; petals 3, ca. 2.5 mm, ovate, white; stamens 6; pistillode 2-fid. Female flowers ca. 1.3 cm long; sepals ca. 7 mm, obovate; petals to 1 cm; ovary to 8 mm, oblong, 1-celled, ovule solitary. Fruit to × 4 2.5 cm, with fibrous mesocarps, orange- red in colour.
native range: Southeast Asia
distribution: Cultivated from India to the Solomon Islands and less commonly in Africa and tropical America
english names: Areca palm · Betel nut plam · Pinang
flowering fruiting: Through out the year
occurrence maldives: Planted in some of the inhabited islands