1310 INDI£N MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



A reed -like climber, quite glabrous, climbing over lofty trees 

 by the leaf-tendrils ; stem nearly lin. thick towards the base, 

 terete, smooth ; branches clothed with cylindric, smooth, striate, 

 closed, truncate sheaths; branchlets as thick as a crow-quill. 

 Leaves sessile, 6-10in. long, variable in breadth, lanceolate 

 from a rounded base, shortly narrowed into the sheath, drawn 

 out at the apex into a slender spiral tendril, many-nerved ; 

 sheaths cylindric, striate, 2-auricled at the apex. Flowers white, 

 in shortly pedunculate, irregulary laxly branched panicles, 6-12- 

 in. long. Outer perianth-segments xaim long, broadly ovate or 

 suborbicular, obtuse ; inner segments similar, more or less 

 unequal. Anthers t^in, long, deeply 2-fid at the base. Ovary 

 to top of stigma tain, long ; style-arms about 20m. long. 

 Drupe pisiform, red, smooth. (Cooke). 



Use : — The leaves are said to be astringent and vulnerary. 

 (Bailey.) _____ 



N. 0. PALMES. 



1297. Areca Catechu, Linn., h.f.b.l, vi/, 405 ; 

 Roxb. 665. 



Sans. : — Pu^a-phalam ; Gubak. 



Vern. :— Supari (H. & B.) ; Tambul (Ass.); Poka-vakka, 

 vakka (Tel.) ; Kamugu, pakku, kottai-pakku (Tarn.) ; Adike 

 (Kan.). 



Engl. — Betel-nut. 



Habitat : — Cultivated in many parts of India. 



Trunk solitary, 40-100 ft. Leaves 4-6ft. ; leaflets numerous, 

 l-2ft , upper confluent, quite glabrous. Spathe glabrous, com- 

 pressed. Spadix much branched ; rachis stout, compressed ; 

 branches with filiform tips bearing more or less distichous, 

 minute male flowers. Female flower solitary at the base and axils 

 of the branches; sepals 3 in., ovate, obtuse ; petals sub-similar; 

 staminodes 6, connate. Fruit 1 J-2in., smooth, orange or scarlet.* 



* Mr. M, K. "Venkata Rail of Bangalore, has described a variety, Areca 

 Oatechu, Var. deliciosa. He says: — "The ordinary betel-nut his a very 

 astringent taste when tasted raw (before boiling). * * The present variety 

 is fairly sweet to eat and is further distinguished by the fact that the endo- 

 sperm is much lighter in color and softer." (Jour. Bo. N. H. S. XXHI. 793). 



