Areca
From Freepedia
| Areca | ||||||||||||
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| Image:Koeh-014.jpg Areca catechu | ||||||||||||
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A. catechu (Betel nut palm) |
Areca is a genus of about 50 species of single-stemmed palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from Malaysia to the Solomon Islands.
The best-known member of the genus is A. catechu, the betel nut palm.
Several species of areca nuts, known for their bitter and tangy taste, are routinely used for chewing, especially along with tobacco and calcium oxide (lime). This practice is popular among elderlies in South East Asia, often the main cause of oral cancer in the region.
