Areca

Areca
Areca catechu – 1897 illustration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Subfamily: Arecoideae
Tribe: Areceae
Subtribe: Arecinae
Genus: Areca
L.
Type species
Areca catechu
Synonyms
  • Mischophloeus Scheff.
  • Pichisermollia H.C.Monteiro

Areca is a genus of palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from the islands of the Philippines and Malaysia, India, and across Southeast Asia to Melanesia. The generic name Areca is derived from a name used locally on the Malabar Coast of India.

Usage

The best-known member of the genus is Areca catechu, the areca nut palm. 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. Areca nut is also popularly referred to as betel nut because of its use for chewing with betel leaves.

Species

As of September 2026, Plants of the World Online accepted these species:

See also

Worldwide areca yield

References

  1. ↑ Areca catechu – the Areca palm. In botanical drawing from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen – by Franz Eugen Köhler, in 1897.
  2. ↑ "Areca". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Areca L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 7 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Charlie D. Heatubun; John Dransfield; Thomas Flynn; Sri S. Tjitrosoedirjo; Johanis P. Mogea; William J. Baker (2012). "A monograph of the betel nut palms (Areca: Arecaceae) of East Malesia". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 168 (2): 147–173. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2011.01199.x.
  5. ↑ Zumbroich, Thomas J. (2008). "The origin and diffusion of betel chewing: A synthesis of evidence from South Asia, Southeast Asia and beyond". e-Journal of Indian Medicine. 1 (3): 87–140.