Areca catechu
Fruiting specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Arecales
Family:	Arecaceae
Genus:	Areca
Species:	A. catechu
Binomial name
Areca catechu L.[1]

Areca catechu is the areca palm or areca nut palm, (Filipino: bunga, Malay: pinang, Malayalam: അടക്ക adakka), a species of palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. The palm is believed to have originated in either Malaysia or the Philippines.^[2] Areca is derived from a local name from the Malabar Coast of India and catechu is from another Malay name for this palm, caccu.

This palm is often erroneously called the betel tree because its fruit, the areca nut, is often chewed along with the betel leaf, a leaf from a vine of the Piperaceae family.

Growth[link]

It is a medium-sized and graceful palm tree, growing straight to 20 m tall, with a trunk 10–15 cm in diameter. The leaves are 1.5–2 m long, pinnate, with numerous, crowded leaflets. It is also known as puga in Sanskrit and supari in Marathi and Gujarati.

Characteristics[link]

19th century drawing of Areca catechu

Areca catechu is grown for its commercially important seed crop, the areca nut.

Penang Island, off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Fua Mulaku in the Maldives and Guwahati in Assam,coastal areas of Kerala and Karnataka in India, are some of the places named after a local name for areca nut.

Chemical composition[link]

The seed contains alkaloids such as arecaidine and arecoline, which, when chewed, are intoxicating and slightly addictive. Areca palms are grown in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and many other Asian countries for their seeds.

The seed also contains condensed tannins (procyanidins) called arecatannins.^[3]

Uses[link]

The areca palm is also used as an interior landscaping species. It is often used in large indoor areas such as malls and hotels. It will not fruit or reach full size. Indoors, it is a slow growing, low water, high light plant that is sensitive to spider mites and occasionally mealybugs. The areca nut is also popular for chewing throughout some Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippine, Malaysia, and India and the Pacific, notably Papua New Guinea, where it is very popular. Chewing areca nut is quite popular among working classes in Taiwan. The nut itself can be addictive and has direct link to mouth cancers.^[4][5][6] Areca nuts in Taiwan will usually contain artificial additives such as limestone powder.

The extract of Areca catechu has been shown to have antidepressant properties in rodents,^[7] but it may be addictive.^[8]

Gallery[link]

• 

  An Areca catechu plantation in Taiwan

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  Areca palm at Kolkata, West Bengal, India

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  Areca palm at Kolkata, West Bengal, India

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  Areca palm fruit at Kolkata,India

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  Areca nuts from India

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  Flora de Filipinas

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  Areca catechu farm

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  Young Beetlenuts in Malaysia

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Areca catechu

• Plant Cultures: Betelnut botany and history
• Areca catechu List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's)
• Names in different Languages

For other persons of this name, see John Long.

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John Long (born 1957) is an acclaimed American rock climber and author whose stories, ranging from adventure yarns to literary fiction, have been translated into many languages. He has more than forty titles and two million books in print. A 1974 graduate of Upland High School in Upland, California, Long studied humanities at the University of LaVerne (graduating with departmental honors), Claremont Graduate School and Claremont School of Theology.

Long joined then unknown teenage climbers John Bachar, Rick Accomazzo, Richard Harrison, Tobin Sorenson, Robs Muir, Gib Lewis, Jim Wilson, and Mike Graham as founding members of an elite group known as the "Stonemasters," who redefined world rock climbing standards and adventuring at large. As the result of the groups countless exploits, from the French Alps to the North Pole, combined with Long’s popular writings in books and magazines, the Stonemaster ethos was central in birthing the “extreme” adventure sports culture that quickly spread through surfing, skating, skiing and eventually, most every outdoor pursuit. Twenty years later, companies such as Patagonia, Levi's and many more were recruiting Long’s narratives and Stonemaster photos as retro branding agents for their catalogues and print ads, media that also ended up in countless art books and journals.

While Long and the Stonemasters branched out into diverse disciplines including caving, river running and first descents, extreme skiing, big wave surfing, trans-continental traverses, BASE jumping and Himalaya alpine climbing, the original renown sprang from establishing scores of daring new rock climbs – throughout the 1970s and 80s - in Southern California and Northern Mexico, most notably at Tahquitz and Suicide Rock in Idyllwild, Joshua Tree National Park, and Yosemite Valley, all in California, and El Gran Trono Blanco, in Baja, Mexico.

Noted climbs[link]

Long's many climbing feats include the first one-day ascent of the most sought after rock climb in the world, the 3,000 foot Nose route on El Capitan, on Memorial Day, 1975, with Jim Bridwell and Billy Westbay. The following year, partnered with Dale Bard, Long made the 2nd one-day ascent of El Cap via the West Face, in the remarkable time of five hours. He followed this with blitz ascents of Leaning Tower, Washington Column, Half Dome and Ribbon Falls, precipitating the modern speed climbing movement so popular today, both in Yosemite Valley and beyond.

After the First One Day Ascent of El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, California

A skilled free climber, Long popularized “free soloing” (climbing with no rope) during his high school days out at Joshua Tree National Park, first introducing John Bachar to the practice in 1974 with their now fêted ascent of Double Cross, at Joshua Tree. Bachar would soon establish himself as the world’s leading solo rock climber. In 1977, Long and Bachar toured the Western States, repeating most of John Gill’s notorious boulder problems at Horse Tooth Reservoir, Ft. Collins, Split Rocks, Estes Park, the Badlands, Pueblo (all in Colorado), and at the Needles of South Dakota. Long’s two seminal photo articles, “Pumping Sandstone,” in 1976, and “Pumping Granite,” in 1977, both featured in Climbing Magazine, inspired an entire generation of free climbers throughout the US and Western Europe, and helped establish bouldering in general, and “High Balling” (high bouldering sans rope) in particular, as a valid and extreme expression of traditional climbing.

Long’s 1973 ascent of Paisano Overhang (5.12c) at Suicide Rock in Southern California, help firmly establish the 5.12 grade and was then likely the most technically difficult free climb in the world. His 1978 ascent of Hangover (5.13b), at nearby Tahquitz Rock, was arguably the first climb achieved at that grade.

In 1975, along with Ron Kauk and John Bachar, Long became first to free climb a legitimate big wall with the first free ascent of the East Face of Washington Column, in Yosemite Valley, later dubbed Astro Man, for two decades widely considered “The World’s Greatest Free Climb.”^{[citation needed]} The following year, also in Yosemite, and with British climber Pete Livesy, Long free climbed the second big wall in history - the 1,700 foot Chouinard/Herbert route on Sentinel Rock. On June 15, 2011, Alex Honnold free soloed the Chouinard/Herbert for CBS News, with Long hosting alongside 60 Minutes correspondent, Lara Logan.

Starting in 1980, with a kayaking expedition to Baja California, Long transitioned into international exploration. Many notable expeditions followed, including the first coast-to-coast traverse of Borneo, transcontinental traverse of Irian Jaya, discovery and exploration of the world’s largest river cave, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea, First Descent, Angel Falls, Venezuela, First Descent of the Kayan River, Kalimantan, Indonesia, as well as expeditions to the Troll Wall, Norway, Hand of Fatima, Mali, West Africa, Mt. Asgard, Baffin Islands, Elsmere Island and the North Pole.

Film and Television[link]

Starting in 1980, Long began working for David Frost Productions, writing and producing ABC and BBC specials, including the International Guinness Book of World Records, which also became a long-running syndicated series. Moving into feature films in the 1990s, Long worked on the second unit for dozens of motion pictures, including the Rambo series. His novella. Rogue’s Babylon, was the basis for Sylvester Stallone’s hit movie, Cliffhanger. During this time Long also worked for Bennett Productions, in Santa Monica, writing and producing action sport shows for TBS, NBC, CBS, FOX, HDTV, RUSH and others. Highlights include the Emmy nominated Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships in La’nai, Hawaii, and the International Monitor Award (International Emmy) Winning show, Hawaiian Waterman (big wave surfing), for Asahi (Japanese HD TV). Later work with New Wave Entertainment involved writing and producing long form shows for Discovery, History Channel, Showtime, A&E, Lifetime, and HBO. His 2008 documentary (for Code Black Entertainment and Ebony Magazine), Why We Laugh: The History of African American Humor, was a featured documentary (Spectrum Series) at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. His most recent (2010) DVD, “Who You Callin’ Crazy?” featured comedian Katt Williams.

Books[link]

Long has over forty titles varying from Pale Moon: American Indian Folklore and Legends, to short-form literary fiction anthologies, to photos/narrative books on beach culture and big wave surfing. His how-to books on adventure sports have been industry leaders for twenty years. His Advanced Rock Climbing won the Banff Film Festival Award for Mountain Exposition, and he is the 2006 recipient of the Literary Award from the American Alpine Club, their highest honor, rarely bestowed. In the Aug/Sep 2009 issue of Rock & Ice Magazine, Long was recognized as “the most influential adventurer in the world” over the last twenty–five years, principally owing to his writing. He has had literary best sellers in Polish (Long on Adventure) and Spain (Rogue’s Babylon).

His large format book, The Stonemasters: California Climbing in the 1970s, was released in October, 2009, and in Nov. 4, 2010, won the Grand Prize at the Banff Film and Book Festival, widely considered the most prestigious outdoor-oriented literary award in the world. Yosemite: The Vertical Evolution, another large format book on modern free climbing in Yosemite, is due out in July, 2011. The Big Juice, companion to The Big Drop, Long’s seminal big wave surfing book of 2000, is due out in August, 2011. Stone Nudes, a hardback, black and white art photo book (photography by seminal fashion shooter, Dean Fidelman) with essays, was released to international critical acclaim in Oct. 2010^{[citation needed]}. Long’s work with other photographers include Sand in my Hair: Beach Culture so Help me God, with Dane Peterson, Glam Utopia, on high fashion models, with photographer Jim Herrington, and One Night Stand, 3,000 Days, 50 Nights, with Pulitzer Prize winning AP shooter, “Hank,” who is remaining anonymous for this large format project.

• Long, John (1988). Gorilla Monsoon. Falcon Press Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-934641-03-6. 
• Long, John (1993). How to Rock Climb: Climbing Anchors. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 
• Long, John (1994). Rock Jocks Wall Rats and Hang Dogs: Rock Climbing on the Edge of Reality. Fireside Book published by Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-88466-2. 
• Long, John (2006). How to Rock Climb: Climbing Anchors. Falcon Press. ISBN 978-0-7627-2326-3. 
• Long, John (2006). How to Rock Climb: Basic Climbing Anchors. Falcon. ISBN 978-0-7627-2469-7. 

• Long, John; Craig Luebben (1997). How to Rock Climb Series: Advanced Rock Climbing. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 
• Long & Middendorf, John & John (1994). How to Rock Climb: Big Walls. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-63-3. 
• Long, John (1997). How to Rock Climb: Big Walls. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 
• Long, John (1995). How to Rock Climb: Gym Climb. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 
• Long, John (2000). How to Rock Climb: How to Rock Climb! (Third Edition ed.). Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4.  (winner of National Outdoor Book Award (Works of Significance, 1999))
• Long, John; Bob Gaines (1996). How to Rock Climb: More Climbing Anchors. Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 
• Long, John (1997). How to Rock Climb: Sport Climbing (Third Edition ed.). Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado. ISBN 0-934641-37-4. 

• Long, John (2000). Long on Adventure: The Best of John Long. Falcon Press. ISBN 978-1-56044-985-0. 
• Long, John (1999). Close Calls. Falcon Press. ISBN 978-1-56044-762-7. 
• Long, John (1999). The High Lonesome: Epic Solo Climbing Stories. Falcon Press. ISBN 978-1-56044-858-7. 
• Long, John (2009). The stonemasters: California rock climbers in the seventies. Stonemaster Press/T. Adler Books. ISBN 0-9840949-0-3. 

Videos[link]

• Long, John (1990’s). The Art Of Leading Describes strategies for safe and successful multi-pitch rock climbing (commercial venture). 

Film[link]

• John Long wrote a screenplay from which the screenplay for Cliffhanger was based. He received a credit of "premise by" Long.

References[link]

• Powells Books
• Ament, Pat (2002). "Wizards of Rock: A History of Free Climbing in America", Wilderness Press
• Hill, Lynn (2002). "Climbing Free", W. W. Norton & Co.
• Long, John (2009). The stonemasters: California rock climbers in the seventies, Stonemaster Press/T. Adler Books

External links[link]

• Reviews of Long's books
• http://rockandice.com/articles/epics/article/298-bizarre-summits-john-long
• http://rockandice.com/articles/epics/article/125-John-Long-and-the-Stonemasters-climb-at-Pirates-Cove