Family of plants commonly known as the Mahogany family
Meliaceae , themahogany family , is aflowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a fewherbaceous plants,mangroves ) in the orderSapindales .
They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves withoutstipules , and by syncarpous,[ 2] panicles ,cymes ,spikes or clusters. Most species areevergreen , but some aredeciduous , either in thedry season or in winter.
The family includes about 53 genera and about 600 known species,[ 3] Toona 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.[ 4]
The fossil record of the family extends back into the Late Cretaceous.[ 5]
Fruits ofChisocheton cumingianus Various species are used for vegetable oil, soap-making, insecticides[ 6] [ 7]
Some economically important genera and species belong to this family:
Azadirachta indica Carapa e.g. Carapa procera (South America and Africa)Cedrela odorata Entandrophragma sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum ), and "utile" or "sipo" (E. utile Guarea Bossé or "pink mahogany", includes:G. thompsonii G. cedrata Khaya Ivory Coast Mahogany andSenegal Mahogany (tropical Africa)Lansium domesticum Southeast Asia Melia azedarach Indomalaya andAustralasia )Sandoricum koetjape Southeast Asia andSouth Asia Swietenia Americas Toona Asia ,Malesia , andAustralia ), especiallyToona ciliata 58 genera are currently accepted.[ 8]
Chinese rice flower (Aglaia odorata The family is divided into two subfamilies, Cedreloideae and Melioideae, which are supported by phylogenetic evidence.[ 9]
Subfamily Cedreloideae [ edit ] This is also known as subfamily Swietenioideae.[ 10] [ 11]
tribe
Cedreleae [ 10] other tribes and genera:
Subfamily Melioideae [ edit ] tribe:
Aglaieae - related genera:
tribe:Guareeae [ 12]
tribe:Melieae
tribe:Sandoriceae
tribe:Turraeeae
- related genera:
tribe:Trichilieae
- related genera:
tribe:Vavaeeae
tribe unassigned:
^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009)."An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" .Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society .161 (2):105– 121.doi :10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x hdl :10654/18083 ^ Of agynoecium , made up of united carpels ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016)."The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase" .Phytotaxa .261 (3):201– 217.Bibcode :2016Phytx.261..201C .doi :10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1 Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved2016-07-14 . ^ Heywood, V.H.; Brummitt, R.K.; Culham, A.; Seberg, O. (2007).Flowering Plant Families of the World . Ontario, Canada: Firefly Books. p. 207.ISBN 9781842461655 ^ Atkinson, Brian A. (January 2020)."Fossil evidence for a Cretaceous rise of the mahogany family" .American Journal of Botany .107 (1):139– 147.doi :10.1002/ajb2.1416 ISSN 0002-9122 .PMID 31903551 . ^ Oyedeji-Amusa, Mariam Oyefunke; Sadgrove, Nicholas J.; Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2021-08-28)."The Ethnobotany and Chemistry of South African Meliaceae: A Review" .Plants (Basel, Switzerland) .10 (9): 1796.Bibcode :2021Plnts..10.1796O .doi :10.3390/plants10091796 ISSN 2223-7747 .PMC 8466584 PMID 34579329 . ^ "Melia azedarach - Useful Tropical Plants" .tropical.theferns.info . Retrieved2025-11-20 .^ Meliaceae Juss.Archived 2023-12-12 at theWayback Machine Plants of the World Online ^ 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 ^a b Gouvea CF, Dornelas MC, Rodriguez AP (2008)."Floral Development in the Tribe Cedreleae (Meliaceae, Sub-family Swietenioideae):Cedrela andToona " .Annals of Botany .101 (1):39– 48.doi :10.1093/aob/mcm279 .PMC 2701842 PMID 17981877 . ^ "Missouri Botanic Garden: list of Meliaceae genera (retrieved 18 January 2018)" .Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved18 January 2018 .^ "Koenen E (2011) Phylogenetic and biogeographic studies in Guareeae (Meliaceae: Melioideae) - (retrieved 18 January 2018)" .Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved18 January 2018 .^ Koenen E (2011)ibid. Pennington, T.D. & Styles, B.T. (1975): A generic monograph of the Meliaceae.Blumea 22 : 419–540.Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Meliaceae .
