Botany
Native Philippine palm with a solitary and slender trunk, growing to about 5 meters and marked with rings and leaf scars. Crown is composed of prominently arching leaves. Leaf blade is 2 meters long, bright green and divided into about 100 narrow and partly overlapping segments (leaflets), 50 on each side of the midrib. Flower cluster is borne below the leaf sheath, much branched and spreading, bearing both male and female flowers which are insect pollinated. Ripe fruit is brigtht red, 2 to 3 cm long, egg-shaped.

Additional info
Similar to the betel nut (Bunga, Areca catechu) but is smaller with a more slender trunk.

Distribution
Popularly cultivated in private gardens and public parks.

Uses
Folkloric
· Seeds chewed as a stimulant.
Others
· Fleshy seed is used as a subtitute for betel nut (Areca catechu, Bunga) for chewing.

Studies
• Cyanogenesis: A survey of leaf material of 545 palms of 108 genera and 155 species showed cyanogenesis to be rare in the family.

Availability
Wildcrafted.
Cultivated.