Palm Trees - Areca macrocalyx

Areca macrocalyx

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Areca macrocalyx at Carlo Morici's Garden, Tenerife - April 2007

General Information
Family:
Arecaceae
Common Names:
Highland Betel Nut Palm
Synonyms:

Distribution:
New Guinea
To Bismarck Archipelago.
Habitat:
Montane Rainforest
Conservation Status:
Habitat Threats:

Native Uses:
Stimulant
Commercial Uses:

Physical Characteristics
Height:
Up to 10m (30ft)
Spread:
Up to 3.5m (12ft)
Growth Habit:
Solitary
Growth Rate:
Medium
Trunk Type:
Green/Red Crownshaft
Green/Brown Prominently Ringed
Trunk Diameter:
Up to 150mm (6")
Leaf Type:
Pinnate
Leaf Size:
Up to 2.2m (7ft)
Leaf Colour:
Dark Green
Petiole:
Unarmed
Self Cleaning:
Yes
Inflorescence Colour:
White
Reproduction:
Monoecious
Fruit Description:
Up to 50mm (2")
Ovoid
Fruit Colour:
Yellow Ripens To Red

Cultural Requirements
Light:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Soil:
Moist
Well Draining
Watering:
Frequent
Maintain Moisture
Min. Temp:
0°C (32°F)
Tolerances:
High Humidity
Pot Culture
Full Sun
Propagation:
Seed
Germination:
1-3 Months
30°C (86°F)
Planting:
Single
Small Groups
Uses:
Houseplant
Ornamental
Potted
Specimen
Availability:
Seed Distributors (Occasionally)

References: IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 December 2004.
Kew World Checklist Of Selected Plant Families. <www.kew.org/wcsp/home.do>
Maas, P. J. M. & H. Maas-van de Kamer. Costaceae. Pp. 413-423 in, B. E. Hammel, M. H. Grayum, C. Herrera, & N. Zamora (eds.), Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. vol. II. Gimnospermas y monocotiledóneas (Agavaceae- Musaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 92: 1-694.
Noblick, L.R. Ph.D., 1998. Hardiness Observations In Palm Species. <www.bg-map.com/PLMTBLA.HTML>
Riffle,R.L. & Craft,P. 2003. An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms.