Swietenia macrophylla
| Swietenia macrophylla | |
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| Swietenia macrophylla | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Meliaceae |
| Genus: | Swietenia |
| Species: | S. macrophylla |
| Binomial name | |
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Swietenia macrophylla King |
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| Historic range of big-leaf mahogany in South America | |
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| Current range of big-leaf mahogany in South America | |
| Synonyms | |
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Swietenia macrophylla, commonly known as mahogany,Honduran mahogany,Honduras mahogany,big-leaf mahogany, or West Indian mahogany, is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of three species that yields genuine mahogany timber, the others being Swietenia mahagoni and Swietenia humilis. It is native to South America and Mexico, but naturalized in Singapore and Hawaii, and cultivated in plantations and wind-breaks elsewhere.
Unlike mahogany sourced from its native locations, plantation mahogany grown in Asia is not restricted in trade. The mahogany timber grown in these Asian plantations is the major source of international trade in genuine mahogany today. The Asian countries which grow the majority of Swietenia macrophylla are India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Philippines, Singapore, and some others, with India and Fiji being the major world suppliers. The tree is also planted in Laos PDR.
The species is also known under other common names, including bastard mahogany, broad-leaved mahogany, Brazilian mahogany, large-leaved mahogany, genuine mahogany, tropical American mahogany, and sky fruit, among others.
Mahogany trees
Young tree
Young Bark
Old Bark and leaves
Fruit with leaves
Bark pattern on mahogany tree.
Mahogany seed.
Wood
Historic distribution of mahogany from Mexico to southeastern Amazonia according to Lamb (1966). From Martinez et al. 2008.
Revised historic distribution of mahogany in South America based on expert surveys. From Martinez et al. 2008.
Historic distribution of mahogany in Mexico and Central America. From Calvo et al. 2000.
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