Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/560

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 1/10in. long, broadly ovate or suborbicular, obtuse ; inner segments similar, more or less unequal. Anthers 1/12in, long, deeply 2-fid at the base. Ovary to top of stigma 1/10in, long ; style-arms about 1/20in. long. Drupe pisiform, red, smooth. (Cooke).

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

Sans. : — Puga-phalam ; Gubâk.

Vern. :— Supári (H. & B.) ; Támbul (Ass.); Poka-vakka, vakka (Tel.) ; Kamugu, pákku, kottai-pákku (Tam.) ; 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, compressed. 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 ¹in., ovate, obtuse ; petals sub-similar; staminodes 6, connate. Fruit 1½-2in., smooth, orange or scarlet.*

• Mr. M, K. "Venkata Rau of Bangalore, has described a variety, Areca Catechu, Var. deliciosa. He says: — "The ordinary betel-nut has 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. XXIII. 793).