Areca palm

Areca is a genus of about 50 species of single-stemmed palms in the family Arecaceae, found in humid tropical forests from Malaysia to the Solomon Islands.

The best-known member of the genus is A. catechu, the areca nut palm. Several species of Areca nuts, known for their bitter and tangy taste, are routinely used for chewing, especially in combination with the leaves of Betel, tobacco and Calcium hydroxide (lime). This practice is popular among elderly people in southeastern Asia, and it is allegedly one of the causes of oral cancer in the region.

The areca nut tree belongs to the same family as the oil palm and talipot palm, but its straight and slender appearance is quite different.

[Source : Wikipedia]