Betel Nut Tree In India
To farmers to cut down their trees and plant alternative crops.
Betel nut tree in india. Areca nut production in india is dominant in the coastal region within 400 kilometres 250 mi from the coast line and also in some other non coastal states of india. Areca nut areca catechu a tropical crop is popularly known as betel nut as its common usage in the country is for mastication with betel leaves. 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. A bunch of areca nut almost ready for harvest in south india.
The areca nut palm is the source of common chewing nut popularly known as betel nut or supari. Betel vine and areca nut betel nut palm are not indigenous to india. The historical epigraphic records and philological as well as archaeological evidences reveal their original home to be. The areca nut is not a true nut but rather a fruit categorized as a drupe.
It is commercially available in dried cured and fresh forms. Commercial cultivation of areca nut is more successful in india. This nut palm belongs to the family of arecaceae and genus of areca l. The betel palm a species of palm tree found primarily in asian countries yields a seed known as a betel nut.
Natives of the asian and indian countries where this tree is found use the nut much like those in western countries use chewing tobacco or snuff. Indians love betel nut for similar reasons namely due to the nuts alkaloids. Of course betel nut has other roles in indian culture. Its even mentioned in chapters of the kama sutra.
This powerful little nut is also one of the worlds earliest psychoactive compounds. Media caption cindy sui reports from taiwan on the moves to end betel nut.