（臺灣情調）擯榔樹

[英文]@A member of the palmacious family, betel trees originated in the Malay archipelago. Mostly concentrated in southern Taiwan, betel plantations have a long history in Taiwan. The Taiwanese enjoy chewing betel nuts, which are cut open before lime or ground shell pate is put in and then wrapped in greeen leaves. Chewing the nuts produces red juice. It is said that betel nuts can help remove phlegm and stimulate the spirit....Betel nuts also function to mitigate diarrhea, cure eye diseases and eliminate helminths@ (Chung 1997, p.69). This photo was also reproduced under the @Taiwan Historical Postcards Series@ imprint, with the Japanese caption cropped off. The titles and captions on the back of the card are bilingual: @檳榔樹與水牛車隊/Betel palms and oxcarts/台湾中南及東部多植檳榔, 據説檳榔具有提神防疫之效, 同時也是民間相饋贈的禮品/Betel palms are common in central and southern Taiwan. Legend has it that Taiwan in old times was frequented by plagues, and chewing betel nuts helped stimulate the spirit, were also used as entrees to entertain guests during wedding parties.@