Chinese herbal medicine

Areca catechu is the fruit of Areca catechu, which belongs to Palmae with coconut. Mainly born in Asia and East Africa, originally from Malaysia.

Areca catechu is one of the important medicinal plants. In many parts of Asia, such as Taiwan Province Province and India, there is a habit of chewing betel nut. Areca catechu is a palm plant with English names of Areca catechu, Areca catechu and Areca catechu. In China, it mainly grows in Hainan, Taiwan Province Province and other tropical coastal areas. The seeds of betel nut have many names, such as kernel frequency and betel nut. Since ancient times, betel nut has been a good fruit for residents in the southeast coastal provinces of China to welcome guests and entertain relatives and friends. In ancient times, honored guests as "guests" and "lang", hence the name "betel nut". There are four levels of hospitality in Hainan: "tea, cigarettes, wine and betel nut". Betel nut will only be served on important festivals such as welcoming VIPs and weddings, which shows its status. At present, with the expansion of betel nut planting area and the love of more and more friends, betel nut has spread to people's daily consumption.

Areca catechu is one of the four southern medicines in China. Areca nut contains many nutrients and beneficial substances needed by human body, such as fat, areca oil, alkaloids, catechins, choline and so on. Areca catechu has a unique function of preventing dysentery, which is the medicine fruit of doctors in past dynasties and is also known as "Xizudan". Because boils are generally related to irregular diet and qi stagnation, betel nut has been widely concerned for its medicinal properties because it can reduce qi, promote digestion and resolve phlegm. Even poets have a soft spot for betel nuts. Su Dongpo, one of the eight masters in the Tang and Song Dynasties, once wrote a famous sentence, "Red tides on the cheeks drunk betel nuts". Fresh betel nut has the wonderful effect that "hunger can make people full, and fullness can make people hungry". When eating on an empty stomach, it is full of qi and easy to digest after a meal, which can be described as a fairy fruit on earth. Li Shizhen, a medical scientist, recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica that Areca catechu has many diseases, such as "reducing edema, dredging joints, invigorating spleen and regulating middle energizer, and treating heartache". Not only that, betel nut also has the effect of treating glaucoma, hypertension and expelling insects.

Chewing betel nut is an indispensable hobby of Dai people in Xishuangbanna. Most elderly Dai people like to chew betel nuts in their spare time. Why do Dai people love eat areca so much? According to legend, a long time ago, there was an old Dai couple who took their anger out on unfilial because their son and daughter-in-law had stomach trouble. One day, the old couple were weaving a bamboo raft under the betel nut tree, and the wind made the tree stagger. A bunch of ripe betel nuts fell down. The thirsty old couple picked one and chewed it in their mouths. They feel sweet and cold, delicious and a little astringent. In the evening, the old couple felt very comfortable in their stomachs, and then they ate betel nuts for a few days. The old couple's stomach trouble actually recovered. It is said that since then, Dai people have had the habit of chewing betel nuts.

Areca catechu is a palm tree, native to Malaysia, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines and so on. And India is the most cultured. In plant taxonomy, betel nut belongs to the same family as oil palm and palm leaf, but it is different in shape and style. Oil palm and palm leaves are tall and straight, with slender branches and leaves, which can be called tall and handsome. Betel nut is graceful, and it can be described as a beautiful girl who sinks fish and falls geese and closes the moon and feels ashamed of flowers. The betel nut tree is tall and thin, and there is a legend among the people: I don't know in what age, a young Dai man crossed mountains and mountains to find his beloved girl, and met the betel nut tree on a difficult road. But when he asked the betel nut tree hopefully if he had seen his beloved, the betel nut tree proudly held its head high and coldly answered a word that made him sad and disappointed. Angry and annoyed, the anxious Dai youth cursed loudly at the betel nut tree: I want you to stand tall and never be short and fat. Years have passed, and the betel nut tree is still thin and tall, and it has never grown strong.

In Xishuangbanna, betel nut is a symbol of wealth and auspiciousness. It was used as currency in ancient times, and it was also the token of love of young Dai men and women. It is said that after the Dai youth fall in love and get married, the young man usually goes to his aunt's house first and volunteers to serve hard labor for three years. But if the young man can climb the tall betel nut tree and collect betel nuts for his beloved during his love, he can avoid these three years of hard labor and take the girl home.

According to scientific research, betel nut is still a commonly used southern medicine. Betel nut not only has the function of strengthening stomach in Dai folklore, but also is a good medicine to protect human teeth. Many Dai people in Xishuangbanna have good teeth because they often go to eat areca. In addition, betel nut can also repel insects, treat abdominal distension, dispel wind and eliminate edema.

Pseudobetel nut

Name: scientific name: Archon to Phoenix Alexandra e (F. Muell) H. Wendl.et d.

Nickname: family and genus: betel nut in palm family.

Category: evergreen tree

morphological character

Evergreen trees, up to 20 cm; The stem is trapezoidal and the base is slightly enlarged. Feather compound leaves are clustered at the stem end, with 2 rows of leaflets, strip-shaped lanceolate, covered with gray scales on the back, and obvious lateral veins and midveins; Leaf sheaths are green and smooth. Flowers unisexual, inflorescences born under leaves. Fruit ovoid, red.

Distribution of origin

Native to eastern Australia. It is cultivated in Fujian, Taiwan Province, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi and Yunnan.

Decorative application

Cities in southern China are usually planted in gardens or as street trees. Beautiful crown, regular leaf ring marks on stems and bright red spikes are its main ornamental features. But the tree is too old to be transplanted easily.

Gomuti palm

Name: ebony category: arbor

Alias: Sugar Coconut, Sugar Tree, Sugar Palmae Name: Palmae

Latin scientific name: Aralia pinnata

Ecological habit

The west is not cold-tolerant, and the annual average temperature is 20 ~ 30℃, and it grows well.

morphological character

Evergreen trees, single stem type, height over10m. The stem is surrounded by fibers at the base of the petiole. The leaves are 6 ~ 7 meters long, multi-lobed, 0.8 ~ 1.5 meters long and 4 ~ 5.5 centimeters wide. The back is white, with small teeth at the edge, biting at the top, and 2 ears at the base, slightly divided. Spike length 1.5cm, axillary, smelly, top flowers bloom first and then bear fruit. The fruit is inverted cone-shaped and leathery; Endocarp is gelatinous and sticks to seeds, with a spicy taste.

Breeding and cultivation

Garden use

Suitable for landscape trees, clustered trees or independent trees, or planting Shi Jing.

Distribution of origin

Native to South Asia to India.