Areca macrocalyx (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Areca macrocalyx Zipp. ex Blume

Family: Palmae

Vernacular names

• Highland betel nut palm (En)
• Papua New Guinea: kabibi, kawiwi.

Distribution

The Aru Islands, New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.

Uses

The seeds are used as an inferior substitute for those of areca palm ( Areca catechu L.).

Observations

A solitary, pleonanthic, monoecious, fairly tall palm; stem 4.5-6 m long. Leaves pinnate; sheaths forming a crownshaft; leaflets narrowly linear-lanceolate, 45-75 cm long, apex long tapering but those of the terminal leaflets praemorse. Inflorescence appearing on the trunk below the crown leaves, spicate; spikes few, bearing few female flowers at base and male ones above; male flowers alternating, in 2 rows, sessile, calyx minute, corolla with 3 valvate petals of about 6 mm long, stamens 6; female flowers sessile, about 9 mm long, calyx about as long as the imbricate petals, ovary 1-locular with a single ovule, stigmas 3, sessile. Infructescence dense; fruit an ellipsoid drupe, about 4 cm long, umbonate, with a persistent perianth. Seed with ruminate endosperm. A. macrocalyx is cultivated around villages in the highlands of New Guinea for its fruits.

Selected sources

11, 15, 27, 34.

Authors

M.S.M. Sosef