Betel nut tree in Kerala

From the archive record

The betel nut or areca nut is the seed of the areca palm (Areca catechu), which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves. The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that chewing areca nut is carcinogenic to humans after reviewing the published medical research. Areca catechu is the areca palm or areca nut palm betel palm, a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. The palm is believed to have originated in either Indonesia/Malaysia or the Philippines. Areca is derived from a local name from the Malabar Coast of India and catechu is from another Malay name for this palm, caccu. This palm is often called the be