Piper betle L.
Vernacular name: Betel vine, Paan (Hindi: पान)
Species Name: Piper betle L.
Family: Piperaceae
Habit: Evergreen perennial climber
Stem: Slender scandent 5-15 m long, nodes swollen, rooting at nodes, glabrous to pubescent.
Leaf: Alternate heart-shaped cordate 8-16×5-12 cm, glossy dark green, acuminate apex, 5-7 nerved base, strongly aromatic.
Flowering: Summer-rainy season
Flowers: Axillary spadices 5-12 cm cylindrical on slender peduncle; male flowers minute with 2-4 stamens (anthers 2-4 locular); female flowers with sessile ovary and short stigma; unisexual/dioecious.
Fruit: Small berry 1-2 mm embedded in spadix.
Uses:
- Heart-shaped leaves chewed with areca nut, slaked lime and sometimes tobacco (carcinogenic) as masticatory (paan) mouth freshener and stimulant.
- Leaves are also used to wrap foods for a distinct aromatic flavor. Leaves are also use to make specific flavored ice-creams and candies.
- Leaves have antibacterial property and help against bad breath and gum swelling bacteria and acts as natural mouth freshener. Leaves also helps to stimulate saliva and ease indigestion.
- Boiled leaves are used to ease cough and reduce body swelling and arthritic inflammation.
- Leaves are used to extract essential oils that have analgesic and antimicrobial properties.
- Crushes leaves are used to treat and disinfect cuts, boils, wounds and insect bites due to presence of hydroxychavicol that has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
- Extracts are antioxidant agent due to presence of polyphenols that helps with gastric ulcers.
- Used as Sacred Hindu offering and in social custom across Asia and also known as “green gold” cash crop.
