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Small-leaved mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)

Dlium Small-leaved mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)

Mahoni or mahogany or small-leaved mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) is a species in Meliaceae, a medium-sized semi-evergreen tree that grows up to 35 meters long, pinnate leaves for 47 cm long with four to eight leaflets where each leaflet has 10 cm length, 4 cm width and do not have terminal leaflets.

S. mahagoni has small flowers and is produced in panicles. The fruit is a wooden capsule for 16 cm long and 9 cm wide and contains many winged seeds. Young trees have fine and grayish wood, but turn darker and wrinkle with age.









Mahogany trees reduce 47-69% of air pollution so they are called shade trees, air filters and water catchers. The leaves are tasked with absorbing the pollutants around it. The leaves will release oxygen (O2) which makes the air around it fresh. The roots bind water when it rains, so it becomes a water reserve.

Mahogany fruit contains flavonoids and saponins which are used to improve blood circulation, reduce cholesterol, reduce fat in the blood vessels, relieve pain, treat diabetes, antioxidants to get rid of free radicals, prevent pestilence, boost the immune system, prevent blood clots and strengthen liver function.

Bark is used to dye clothes. Mahogany sap is used as raw material for glue. Leaves for animal feed. Mahogany can grow in arid soils and is widely used as a shade.

This tree famous for shipbuilding and became an important ingredient that led to the golden age of furniture making in the 18th century. Mahogany is widely used for car interiors, trains, living rooms, public buildings, hotels, residences and supplies.

Mahoni wood is used to make modern musical instruments because of its superior tonewood quality. Sometimes used on the top of the guitar, the back, sides and neck of the mandolin. This wood is also used in making Gibson Les Paul electric guitars for Custom, Deluxe and Studio models.

A laminate of three layers of mahogany poplar and mahogany was found on the drum shell line. Some research on the acaricidal effect of leaves and bark can be used to control pests in Varroa destructor honeybees.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Meliaceae
Subfamily: Cedreloideae
Tribe: Cedreleae
Genus: Swietenia
Species: Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. in Enum. Syst. Pl.: 20 (1760)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cedrela mahagoni L. in Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 2: 940 (1759)
Cedrus mahagoni (L.) Mill. in Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 2 (1768)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Swietenia acutifolia Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 2: 479 (1812)
Swietenia fabrilis Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 317 (1796)
Swietenia mahagoni var. praecociflora Hemsl. in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 28: t. 2786 (1905)
Swietenia mahogani DC. in Prodr. 1: 625 (1824), orth. var.

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.

Balkrishna, A. (2018). Flora of Morni Hills (Research & Possibilities): 1-581. Divya Yoga Mandir Trust.

Bosser, J. & al. (eds.) (1997). Flore des Mascareignes 69: 79-1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2024). Flora of North America North of Mexico 13: 1-566. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Girmansyah, D. & al. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Bali an annotated checklist: 1-158. Herbarium Bogorensis, Indonesia.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Mao, A.A., Sinha, B.K., Verma, D. & Sarma, N. (2016). Check-List of Flora of Meghalaya: 1-273. Meghalaya Biodiversity Board, Shillong.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Newman, M., Ketphanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstrong, K. (2007). A checklist of the vascular plants of Lao PDR: 1-394. Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

Pandey, R.P. & Dilwakar, P.G. (2008). An integrated check-list flora of Andaman and Nicobar islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 32: 403-500.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Wongprasert, T., Phengklai, C. & Boonthavikoon, T. (2011). A synoptic account of the Meliaceae of Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 39: 210-266.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2008). Flora of China 11: 1-622. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

VERNACULAR NAME

Bengali: মেহগনি Mēhagani
Burmese: မဟော်ဂနီ
Dutch: Mahonie
English: Small-leaved mahogany, Mahogany
Filipino: Mahoni
Hindi: महोगनी वृक्ष Mahoganee vrksh
Indonesian: Mahoni
Java: Maoni
Kannada: Mahogany
Khmer: ម៉ាហូហ្គានី
Lao: ໄມ້ມະໂຫຄະນີ
Malaysia: Mahoni
Nepali: महोगनी Mahōganī
Palauan: Mahongani
Sinhala: මගහානි Magahāni
Tamil: மகாஹானி Magahani
Telugu: Mahaa-goni chettu
Thai: มะฮอกกานี - มะฮอกกานีใบเล็ก
Vietnam: Gỗ gụ

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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