Botany
Calappa palm has stems that are erect, much like the habit of the tall Areca catechu, about 10 meters high. Leaves are pinnate, the blade measuring 70 to 90 cm long; the pinnae are linear, 50 to 60 cm long, 3 to 4 cm wide. Spadix is ascending with 2 spathes. Male flowers are small with imbricate sepals, much shorter than the valvate corolla. Sepals and petals of the female flowers are imbricate. Fruiting spadix is spreading. Fruits are orange-yellow, pendulous ovoid, the size of a duck's egg and containing one seed.

Distribution
Introduced.
In settled areas at altitudes of about 500 meters.
Small garden cultivation.

Parts used
Ripe nut.

Uses
Folkloric
Ripe nut is medicinal, chewed by the Malays as betel substitute.
In Sumatra, used for scurf.
Others
Widely cultivated in Southeast Asia and Malesia where villagers attribute it magical or medicinal powers, or as subtituted to betel.

Availability
Wild-crafted.