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More t h a n t w e l v e cultivars o f Piper betle are reported i n Sri Lanka b u t n o chemical studies have been carried o u t o n t h e m . T h e present s t u d y describes t h e morphological, physic0 -chemical, chemical and antimicrobial activities o f six main cultivars of P. betle Linn namely Galdalu, Malzamaneru, K u d a m a n e r u , R a t a d a l u , N a g a w a l l i and Malabulath. T h e chemical constituents identified i n t h e essential oil o f Malabulath b y Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were different t o those from t h e other c u l t i v a r s . T h e m a j o r c o m p o u n d i n M a l a b u l a t h w a s allylpyrocatechol diacetate while t h a t i n all other cultivars categorized a s c o m m o n b e t e l w a s s a f r o l e . C h e m i c a l compositions of t h e essential oil o f t h e leaf, stalk, stem, fruit and root were different. T h e major compounds i n t h e leaf,Gampaha, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Matale and Galle are the main betel cultivating districts in the country. In Sri Lanka, more than twelve cultivars of betel have been recognized by the villagers but no systematic nomenclature and scientific classification of these cultivars are recorded. The objectives of the present study are to identify the different cultivars of betel found in Sri Lanka using morphological characters and chemical properties of the oil.(to assist a scientific classification of the different P. betle Linn. cultivars found in Sri Lanka). In most stem, stalk and root oil was safrole b u t i n t h e fruit it w a s P-Of the the constituents depend on the phellandrene. T h e composition o f t h e oil also varied w i t h maturity and the part analysed. Hence in the maturity. T h e essential oil from common betel was active against Escherichia coli ( N C T C 101481, P s e u d o m o n a

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