兰屿山槟榔 lan yu shan bin lang

Pseudopinanga tashiroi (Hayata) Burret.

Stems clustered or solitary, to 5 m tall, to 5 cm or more in diam., swollen at bases. Leaves pinnate; sheaths closed and forming crownshafts, to 1 m, green with reddish brown scales; petioles to 60 cm; rachis to 1.5 m; pinnae many per side of rachis, green abaxially, linear, multi-veined, regularly arranged; middle pinnae to 60 × 2-2.5 cm. Inflorescences branched, pendulous; peduncles not seen; rachis not seen; rachillae ca. 30, to 21 cm, glabrous; triads distichously arranged, superficial on rachillae; male flowers 10-11 mm, deciduous; sepals connate into a 3-lobed calyx; petals to 10 mm; stamens 36-42; female flowers ca. 5 mm; sepals ca. 3 mm, rounded at apex, ciliate; petals ca. 3 mm, ciliate. Fruits red, ovoid to globose, to 1.8 × 1.2 cm.

● Lowland rain forests; below 500 m. Taiwan (Lan Yu).

The seeds are chewed as a substitute for betel nut.