Overview
The Meliaceae, or the Mahogany family, is a family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a few herbaceous plants) in the order Sapindales,
They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules, and by syncarpous, apparently bisexual (but actually mostly cryptically unisexual) flowers borne in panicles, cymes, spikes, or clusters. Most species are evergreen, but some are deciduous, either in the dry season or in winter.
The family includes about 50 genera and 550 species, with a pantropical distribution; one genus (Toona) extends north into temperate China and south into southeast Australia, and another (Melia) nearly as far north.
U.S.A.s
Various species are used for vegetable oil, soap-making, insecticides, and highly prized wood (mahogany).
Some economically important spec ies belong to this family:
- Neem tree Azadirachta indica (India)
- Crabwood Tree Carapa procera (South America and Africa)
- Cedrela Cedrela odorata (Central and South America; timber also known as Spanish-cedar)
- Sapele Entandrophragma cylindricum (tropical Africa)
- Utile or Sipo, Entandrophragma utile (tropical Africa)
- Bossé Guarea cedrata (Africa)
- Bossé Guarea thompsonii (Africa)
- Ivory Coast Mahogany Khaya ivorensis (tropical Africa)
- Senegal Mahogany Khaya senegalensis (tropical Africa)
- Chinaberry or Bead Tree, Melia azedarach (Queensland, India and southern China)
- Mahogany Swietenia species (tropical Americas)
- Australian Redcedar Toona australis (Australia), often included in Toona ciliata (seq.)
- Toon, surian (int. trad e) Toona ciliata (India, southeast Asia and eastern Australia)
Gallery
Photos
Taxonomy
The Family Meliaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subfamily (8): Clusioideae · Commelinoideae · Melioideae · Scrophularioideae · Solanoideae · Spiraeoideae · Swietenioideae · Ulmoideae
- Tribe (12): Antirrhineae · Bombini · Cedreleae · Guareeae · Melieae · Rhamneae · Solaneae · Spiraeeae · Swietenieae · Tradescantieae · Tulipeae · Turraeeae
- Genus (126): Acanthotrichilia · Acrilia · Aglaia · Aitonia · Alliaria · Amapa · Amoora · Andersonia · Antelaea · Anthocarapa · Aphanamixis · Argophilum · Astrotrichilia · Azadirachta · Azedara · Azedarach · Beddomea · Bingeria · Cabralea · Calodecaryia · Calodryum · Cambania · Camunium · Capuronianthus · Carapa · Cedrela · Cedrella · Cedrus · Charia · Chickrassia · Chisocheton · Chukrasia · Chuniodendron · Cipadessa · Clemensia · Didymocheton · Dysoxylon · Dysoxylum · Ekebergia · Elcaja · Entandophragma · Entandrophragma · Entandrophragmoxylon · Epicharis · Garretia · Gilibertia · Ginnania · Goniocheton · Granatum · Guarea · Hartighsea · Hearnia · Heckeldora · Heynea · Heynichia · Humbertioturraea · Khaya · Lachanodendron · Lansium · Leioptyx · Lepiaglaia · Lepidaglaia · Lepidotrichilia · Leplaea · Lovoa · Macrochiton · Mafureira · Mallea · Malleastrum · Megaphyllaea · Melia · Meliadelpha · Melioschinzia · Melospermum · Merostela · Milnea · Monocyclis · Monosoma · Moschoxylum · Munronia · Napeodendron · Naregamia · Nemedra · Neobeguea · Neomangenotia · Nimmoia · Nurmonia · Nyalelia · Nymania · Odontandra · Odontosiphon · Oraoma · Owenia · Oxleya · Payeria · Persoonia · Pholacilia · Portesia · Pseudobersama · Pseudocarapa · Pseudocedrela · Pseudoclausena · Pterorhachis · Quivisia · Quivisianthe · Reinwardtiodendron · Ricinocarpodendron · Ruagea · Sandoricum · Schmardaea · Selbya · Soymida · Sphaerosacme · Surenus · Sweitenia · Swietenia · Sycocarpus · Synoum · Toona · Trichilia · Turraea · Turraeanthus · Vavaea · Walsura · Wulfhorstia · Xylocarpus
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2,453 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Family Meliaceae.
Genera
Acanthotrichilia
Acrilia
Aglaia
Aglaia is a genus of more than 100 species belonging to the Mahogany family (). [more]
Aitonia
Alliaria
Herbs annual or biennial, rarely short-lived perennial. Trichomes absent or simple. Stems erect, sometimes decumbent. Basal leaves long petiolate, rosulate, simple, crenate, dentate, or sinuate. Cauline leaves petiolate, dentate. Racemes several flowered, ebracteate, bracteate throughout, or only basally bracteate. Fruiting pedicels slender or thickened, narrower than or as thick as fruit, terete. Sepals oblong, erect, glabrous, base of lateral pair not saccate. Petals white, longer than sepals; blade oblanceolate, apex obtuse; claw obscurely differentiated from blade. Stamens 6, slightly tetradynamous; filaments not dilated at base; anthers ovate or oblong, obtuse at apex. Nectar glands confluent, subtending bases of all stamens. Ovules 4-20 per ovary. Fruit dehiscent siliques, linear or oblong, terete or 4-angled, sessile; valves with a prominent midvein and distinct marginal veins, glabrous or scabrous, torulose; replum rounded; septum complete; style obsolete or distinct and to 6 mm; stigma capitate. Seeds uniseriate, wingless, oblong, plump; seed coat longitudinally striate, not mucilaginous when wetted; cotyledons incumbent.[1] [more]
Amapa
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Amoora
Amoora is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Andersonia
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Antelaea
Anthocarapa
Anthocarapa is a genus of tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. The natural range of the one accepted species extends from eastern Malesia, Australia to the western Pacific Ocean. [more]
Aphanamixis
Aphanamixis is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Argophilum
Astrotrichilia
Azadirachta
Azadirachta is a of two species of trees in the flowering plant family Meliaceae (Mahogany family). Numerous species have been described in the genus but only two are currently recognized, A. excelsa (Jack) Jacobs, and the economically important Neem tree, A. indica A. Juss. (Mabberley et al. 1995, Pennington & Styles 1975). Both species are native to the Indomalaysian region, and A. indica is also widely cultivated and naturalized outside its native range. The resin from the trees have been attributed with medical benefits. [more]
Azedara
Azedarach
Beddomea
Bingeria
Cabralea
Calodecaryia
Calodryum
Cambania
Camunium
Capuronianthus
Carapa
Carapa is a genus in the mahogany family . The c. 25 species become medium-sized to large trees to 30 m tall, occurring in tropical South America and Africa; common names for include Andiroba and Crabwood. [more]
Cedrela
Tall trees. Leaves pinnate; leaflets entire to serrate, somewhat oblique. Flowers small, in terminal and sub-terminal panicles. Calyx short, 5-parted. Petals 5, free. Stamens 4-6, free; staminodes present or absent. Disc thick, lobed. Ovary 5-locular; stigma capitate. Fruit a septifragal capsule. Seeds many, winged.[2] [more]
Cedrella
Cedrus
Trees evergreen, monoecious; branchlets strongly dimorphic: long branchlets growing several cm each year and bearing very slow-growing, lateral short branchlets; winter buds small, scales persistent. Leaves spirally arranged and radially spreading on long branchlets, shorter and very densely clustered on short branchlets, needlelike, triangular or ± quadrangular in cross section, stiff, stomatal lines present both adaxially and abaxially, most numerous abaxially, vascular bundles 2, almost fused, resin canals 2, small, marginal. Cones borne on apex of short branchlets, solitary, erect. Pollen cones with many spirally arranged microsporophylls; microsporangia 2; pollen not saccate. Seed cones erect, light purple at fertilization, maturing in 2nd(or 3rd) year; ovulate scales spirally arranged, sessile, with small bracts and 2 ovules adaxially. Seed scales closely arranged, large, woody, those at base and apex of cone sterile, deciduous at maturity. Bracts minute, falling together with seed scales at maturity from persistent, central axis. Seeds with large, membranous wing. Cotyledons usually 6-10. Germination epigeal. 2n = 24.[3] [more]
Charia
Chickrassia
Chisocheton
Chukrasia
Chuniodendron
Cipadessa
Clemensia
Didymocheton
Dysoxylon
Dysoxylum
Dysoxylum is a genus in the mahogany family (Meliaceae). There are about 70 species, mainly trees, occurring from Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia and through to other parts of the western Pacific Ocean. Australian species are known as "rosewoods", though they are not closely related to the true rosewoods (Dalbergia) which are legumes. [more]
Ekebergia
Elcaja
Entandophragma
Entandrophragma
Entandrophragma is a genus of eleven species of trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae, restricted to tropical Africa. At least some of the species attain large sizes, reaching 40-50 m tall, exceptionally 60 m, and 2 m in trunk diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet 8-10 cm long with an acuminate tip. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with five yellowish petals about 2 mm long, and ten stamens. The fruit is a five-valved capsule containing numerous winged seeds. [more]
Entandrophragmoxylon
Epicharis
Epicharis may be: [more]
Garretia
Gilibertia
Dendropanax is a of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, consisting of 92 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. They are native to Central and South America, eastern Asia and the Malay Peninsula. [more]
Ginnania
Goniocheton
Granatum
Guarea
Guarea is a genus of trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae, native to tropical Africa and Central and South America. They are large trees 20-45 m tall, with a trunk over 1 m trunk diameter, often buttressed at the base. The leaves are pinnate, with 4-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet present. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with 4-5 yellowish petals. The fruit is a four or five-valved capsule, containing several seeds, each surrounded by a yellow-orange fleshy aril; the seeds are dispersed by hornbills and monkeys which eat the fleshy aril. [more]
Hartighsea
Hearnia
Heckeldora
Heynea
Heynichia
Humbertioturraea
Khaya
Khaya is a genus of seven species of in the mahogany family Meliaceae, native to tropical Africa and Madagascar. All species become big trees 30-35 m tall, rarely 45 m, with a trunk over 1 m trunk diameter, often buttressed at the base. The leaves are pinnate, with 4-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet absent; each leaflet is 10-15 cm long abruptly rounded toward the apex but often with an acuminate tip. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with four or five yellowish petals and ten stamens. The fruit is a globose four or five-valved capsule 5-8 cm diameter, containing numerous winged seeds. [more]
Lachanodendron
Lansium
Leioptyx
Lepiaglaia
Lepidaglaia
Lepidotrichilia
Leplaea
Lovoa
Lovoa is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Macrochiton
Mafureira
Mallea
Malleastrum
Malleastrum is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Megaphyllaea
Melia
Melia can refer to: [more]
Meliadelpha
Melioschinzia
Melospermum
Merostela
Milnea
Monocyclis
Monosoma
Moschoxylum
Munronia
Napeodendron
Naregamia
Nemedra
Neobeguea
Neomangenotia
Nimmoia
Nurmonia
Nyalelia
Nymania
Phyllanthus is the largest in the family Phyllanthaceae. Estimates of the number species in this genus vary widely, from 750 to 1200. Phyllanthus has a remarkable diversity of growth forms including annual and perennial herbs, shrubs, climbers, floating aquatics, and pachycaulous succulents. Some have flattened leaflike stems called cladodes. It has a wide variety of floral morphologies and chromosome numbers and has one of the widest range of pollen types of any seed plant genus. [more]
Odontandra
Odontosiphon
Oraoma
Owenia
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Oxleya
Payeria
Persoonia
Persoonia is a of 98 species of shrubs and small trees in the tribe Persoonioideae in the large and diverse plant family Proteaceae. In the eastern states of Australia, they are commonly known as Geebungs, while in Western Australia and South Australia they go by the common name Snottygobbles. The generic name is in honour of Dutch mycologist and botanist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon. [more]
Pholacilia
Portesia
Pseudobersama
Pseudocarapa
Pseudocarapa is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Pseudocedrela
Pseudoclausena
Pterorhachis
Quivisia
Quivisianthe
Reinwardtiodendron
Ricinocarpodendron
Ruagea
Ruagea is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Sandoricum
Sandoricum is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Schmardaea
Schmardaea is a of plant in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Selbya
Soymida
Sphaerosacme
Surenus
Sweitenia
Swietenia
Swietenia is a genus of trees in the family Meliaceae. It occurs in the Neotropics, from southern Florida, the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America south to Bolivia. It is usually taken to consist of three species, geographically separated. They are medium-sized to large trees growing to 20-45 m tall, and up to 2 m trunk diameter. The leaves are 10-30 cm long, pinnate, with 3-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet absent; each leaflet is 5-15 cm long. The leaves are deciduous to semi-evergreen, falling shortly before the new foliage grows. The flowers are produced in loose inflorescences, each flower small, with five white to greenish-yellowish petals. The fruit is a pear-shaped five-valved capsule 8-20 cm long, containing numerous winged seeds about 5-9 cm long. [more]
Sycocarpus
Synoum
Synoum is a genus of evergreen tree in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. It is endemic to Australia where it is found along the eastern sub-tropical to tropical coast, usually on the margins of rainforests, in Queensland and New South Wales. [more]
Toona
Toona is a of five species of trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae, native from Afganistan south to India, and east to North Korea, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia . [more]
Trichilia
Trichilia is a genus in the family Meliaceae. These plants are particularly diverse in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. [more]
Turraea
Turraea is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Turraeanthus
Turraeanthus is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Vavaea
Vavaea is a genus of in family Meliaceae. [more]
Walsura
Walsura is a genus of in family Meliaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): [more]
Wulfhorstia
Xylocarpus
At least 15 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Xylocarpus.
More info about the Genus Xylocarpus may be found here.
References
- Pennington, T.D. & Styles, B.T. (1975): A generic monograph of the Meliaceae. Blumea 22: 419-540.
Bibliography
- Cheng Wan-chün, Fu Li-kuo, Law Yu-wu, Fu Shu-hsia, Wang Wen-tsai, Chu Cheng-de, Chao Chi-son & Chen Chia-jui. 1978. Pinaceae. In: Cheng Wan-chün & Fu Li-kuo, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 7: 32-281.
Footnotes
- "Alliaria". in Flora of China Vol. 8 Page 171. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- "Cedrela". in Flora of Pakistan . Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
- "Cedrus". in Flora of China Vol. 4 Page 52. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
Sources
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