A tree with a straight smooth stem, the upper portion green, annulate, 12 to 30 m tall. Leaves pinnate, 1.2 to 1.8 m long; leaflets numerous, 30 to 60 cm long; petiole expanded into a broad, tough sheath. Spathe double, compressed, glabrous, spadices much-branched, bearing male and female flowers; male flowers small, numerous sessile; female solitary or in groups of 2 to 3, borne near the base of each ramification of the spadix. Fruit ovoid or oblong, 4 to 5 cm long, smooth, orange or red when fully ripe, single-seeded, orange or red when ripe, single seeded, with a fibrous mesocarp; seed-kernel, 2 to 4 cm in diameter, greyish-brown, ruminate with reddish-brown lines.

Laxative, aphrodisiac, digestive, astringent, diuretic, stimulant, cardiotonic, emmenagogue, antimicrobial and anthelmintic; freshens breath and strengthens gums (paste).

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Betal nut

Arecoline, ascorbic acid, beta-sitosterol, choline, diosgenin, gallic acid, lauric acid, linoleic acid, niacin, oleic acid, riboflavin,stearic acid, tannin, thiamin (seed); beta-carotene (plant).

To treat inflammation of the eyes, giddiness and gleet, in urinary maladies and diarrhea (powdered); skin disorders and external ulcers, for cleaning teeth, in the removal of tapeworms and other intestinal parasites, to treat liver disorders (root decoction).

Sri Lankans have reported that the unripe fruits (used as a laxative) can alter eyesight. Chewing betel nuts can also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, chest pain, irregular heartbeats, high or low blood pressure, and irregular heart beats. A heart attack occurred in a man immediately after chewing betel nut. It is not clear if betel was the cause. There may be a higher risk of cancers of the liver, mouth, stomach, prostate, cervix, and lung with regular betel use.

Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.