ARE'CA, a genus of palms, containing several species, having pinnate leaves and double spathes. The fruit is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, a nut with an outer fibrous husk. A. catechu, the PINANG Palm, or betel-nut palm, is a native of the East Indies, whose nut yields a sort of catechu. See CATECIRT. This areea-nut. or betel-nut, is very much used in all parts of the east, the chewing of it with quick-lime and the leaf of the betel pepper being one of the most prevalent habits of the people. See BETEL. The nut is about the size of a hen's egg; the fibrous husk about half an inch thick. It is austere and astringent. It is doubtful if it possesSes a narcotic power, or if this is to be ascribed entirely to the leaf which is used along with it. Areca-nuts form a considerable article of trade in the east. The timber of the palm which produces them, and its leaf-stalks and spathes, are also used for domestic purposes. The tree is often 40 or 50 ft. high, and in general less than a foot in diameter. The leaves are few, but very large, their leaflets
more than a yard long. In Malabar, an inebriating lozenge is prepared from the sap. —A. oleracea, the CABBAGE PALM of the West Indies, is a very tall tree, 100 to 200 ft., whose huge terminal leaf-bud is sweet and nutritious, and is sometimes used for the table as cabbage, but when it is cut off, the tree is destroyed. The stem of this tree, notwithstanding its great height is remarkably slender. The nuts are produced in great numbers; they are about the size of a filbert, and have a sweet kernel.—A. sapida, the New Zealand palm, is remarkable as extending southward beyond the geographical limits of any other of its order, as far indeed as lat. 38° 22' s. It is a small palm, only from 0 to 10 ft. high, with leaves 4 to 6 ft. long. The young inflorescence is eaten.— A. restiaria, a native of the east, is so called because .clothing is made from its fibers.