Meliaceae, the mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a few herbaceous plants, mangroves) 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, Cyme (botany), cymes, Raceme#Spike, spikes or clusters. Most species are evergreen, but some are deciduous, either in the dry season or in winter. The family includes about 53 genera and about 600 known species, with a pantropical distribution; one genus (''Toona'') extends north into temperate China and south into southeast Australia, another (''Synoum'') into southeast Australia, and another (''Melia'') nearly as far north. They most commonly grow as understory trees in rainforests, but are also found in mangroves and arid regions. The fossil record of the family extends back into the Late Cretaceous. Fruits of Chisocheton paniculatus

Uses

Various species are used for vegetable oil, soap-making, insecticides, and highly prized wood (mahogany). Some economically important genera and species belong to this family: *''Azadirachta indica'', neem tree (India) *''Carapa'': includes the "crabwood trees" ''e.g. Carapa procera'' (South America and Africa) *''Cedrela odorata'' Central and South America; timber also known as Spanish-cedar *''Entandrophragma'': includes sapele (''Entandrophragma cylindricum''), and "utile" or "sipo" (''Entandrophragma utile, E. utile'') of tropical Africa *''Guarea'', the genus of ''Bossé'' or "pink mahogany", includes: ''Guarea thompsonii, G. thompsonii'' and ''Guarea cedrata, G. cedrata'' (Africa) *''Khaya'' includes: Khaya ivorensis, Ivory Coast Mahogany and Khaya senegalensis, Senegal Mahogany (tropical Africa) *''Lansium domesticum'', lanzones, grown for its edible fruit in Southeast Asia *''Melia azedarach'', Chinaberry or white cedar (Indomalayan realm, Indomalaya and Australasian realm, Australasia) *''Sandoricum koetjape'', santol, grown for its edible fruit in Southeast Asia and South Asia *''Swietenia'' is the classic "mahogany" genus from the tropical Americas *''Toona'': the genus of "toon tree" species (tropical Asia, Malesia, and Australia), especially ''Toona ciliata''

Genera

58 genera are currently accepted.''Meliaceae'' Juss.
''Plants of the World Online''. Retrieved 9 February 2024. The family is divided into two subfamilies, Cedreloideae and Melioideae, which are supported by phylogenetic evidence.Holzmeyer, L., Hauenschild, F., Mabberley, D.J. and Muellner-Riehl, A.N. (2021), Confirmed polyphyly, generic recircumscription and typification of Dysoxylum (Meliaceae), with revised disposition of currently accepted species. ''Taxon'', 70: 1248-1272. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12591

Subfamily Cedreloideae

This is also known as subfamily Swietenioideae.

Subfamily Melioideae

Notes

References

* (1975): A generic monograph of the Meliaceae. ''Blumea'' 22: 419–540.

External links

Meliaceae
i
L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.

Project Meliaceae
{{Authority control Meliaceae, Sapindales families