''Areca vestiaria'' (pinang yaki or pinang merah) is a species of palm native to the rainforests of eastern Indonesia especially

North Sulawesi North Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Minahasa Peninsula of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia. It borders the Philippine province of Davao Occidental and Socc ...

. Its morphology is more diverse than other species of palms, and in particular the color of its upper trunk /

crownshaft An elongated circumferential leaf base formation present on some species of palm is called a crownshaft. The leaf bases of some pinnate leaved palms (most notable being ''Roystonea regia'' or the royal palm but also including the genera ''Areca' ...

changes depending on altitude (varying between red and orange). The people of Sulawesi, near

Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park is a 2,871 km2 (1,108 mi2) national park on Minahassa Peninsula on Sulawesi island, Indonesia. Formerly known as Dumoga Bone National Park, it was established in 1991 and was renamed in honour of N ...

, have long used the fruit of this palm as a

male contraceptive Male contraceptives, also known as male birth control, are methods of preventing pregnancy that solely involve the male physiology. The most common kinds of male contraception include condoms, outercourse, and vasectomy. In domestic animals, ca ...

. They drink a decoction of the fruit flesh boiled in water. The chemical composition of the fruit has been investigated with this in mind, but this does not represent evidence of its effectiveness as an antifertility agent.

References

vestiaria Trees of the Maluku Islands Trees of Sulawesi Medicinal plants of Asia Contraception for males {{Areceae-stub