Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. (MELIACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Mahogany, West Indian Mahogany

Description

Tree to 30-35 m tall. Leaves pinnate, up to 35 cm long with 8-12 pairs of leaflets. Flowers in inflorescence at axils of leaves, small, greenish yellow. Fruits woody, brown capsule, 6-10 cm long, splitting open into 5 parts, releasing numerous brown winged seeds.

Ecology

Tropical America; Florida to Caribbean.

Distribution

Pastures, along sides of roads, rare in natural woodlands.

Uses

Used as timber for furniture, musical instruments, boxes and cases for scientific instruments, and historically in ship construction.