Piper betle
Piper betle
Safety & Hazards
Chewing betel quids can lead to cancers in the mouth and on the tongue[ 254 Title The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Publication Author Chevallier. A. Publisher Dorling Kindersley. London Year 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148 Description An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world. ].
Botanical Description
Piper betle is an evergreen climbing shrub producing woody stems 5 - 20 metres long. The stems produce adventitious roots, with which they can adhere to other plants etc for support[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Betel pepper was probably originally native to Malaysia, but it was taken into cultivation more than 2,500 years ago and is no longer known in the wild. It is commonly used as part of a masticatory mix which also involves the Betel palm (Areca spp.) and also has a range of medicinal uses.