Meliaceae - Definition

Mahogany family
Chinese Rice Flower (Aglaia odorata)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Sapindales Family: Meliaceae
Genera
See text

The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly tropical trees and shrubs in the order Sapindales, characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules and by syncarpous, usually bisexual flowers borne in panicles, cymes, spikes, or clusters. Many species are deciduous, either in the dry season or in winter, but some are evergreen. The family includes about 50 genera and 550 species.

Distribution

Pantropical; one genus (Toona) extends north into temperate China and south into southeast Australia, and another (Melia) nearly as far north.

Uses

Oil, soap-making, insecticides, highly prized wood (mahogany)

Some economically important species belong to this family:

• Neem Azadirachta indica (India)
• Crabwood Tree Carapa procera (West Africa)
• Cedrela Cedrela odorata (Central America; also known as "Spanish-cedar", a very confusing common name as it is neither a Cedar, nor from Spain)
• Sapele Entandophragma cylindricum (West Africa)
• Utile or African Mahogany Entandophragma utile (West Africa)
• Pink Mahogany Guarea cedrata (West Africa)
• Ivory Coast Mahogany Khaya ivoriensis (West Africa)
• Senegal Mahogany Khaya senegalensis (West Africa)
• Chinaberry or Bead Tree, Melia azedarach (Queensland, India and southern China)
• Honduras Mahogany Swietenia macrophylla (Central America)
• West Indies Mahogany Swietenia mahagoni (West Indies, southern Florida)
• Australian Redcedar Toona australis (Australia)
• Toon or Indian Mahogany (India) or Australian Redcedar (Australia) Toona ciliata (India, southeast Asia and eastern Australia)
• Chinese Mahogany Toona sinensis (China; included within Cedrela by some botanists)
• Turraea Turraea spp. (about 80 species in tropical & southern Africa, tropical Asia and northern Australia)

Genera

• Aglaia
• Anthocarapa
• Aphanamixis
• Astrotrichilia
• Azadirachta
• Cabralea
• Calodecarya
• Capuronianthus
• Carapa
• Cedrela
• Chisocheton
• Chukrasia
• Cipadessa
• Dysoxylum
• Ekebergia
• Entandophragma
• Guarea
• Heckeldora
• Humbertioturraea
• Khaya
• Lansium
• Lepidotrichilia
• Lovoa
• Malleastrum
• Melia
• Munronia
• Naregamia
• Neobeguea
• Owenia
• Pseudobersama
• Pseudocarapa
• Pseudocedrela
• Pterorhachis
• Reinwardtiodendron
• Ruagea
• Sandoricum
• Schmardaea
• Soymida
• Sphaerosacme
• Swietenia
• Synoum
• Toona
• Trichilia
• Turraea
• Turraeanthus
• Vavaea
• Walsura
• Xylocarpus

External link

• Project Meliaceae (http://www.mahoganyforthefuture.org/projectmeliaceae/)