| Indian mahogany | |
|---|---|
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| C. tabularis flowers, leaves and capsule | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Meliaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cedreloideae |
| Genus: | Chukrasia A.Juss. |
| Species: | C. tabularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Chukrasia tabularis A.Juss. | |
| Synonyms | |
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Chukrasia tabularis, theIndian mahogany, is a deciduous,tropical foresttree species in the Mahogany Family (Meliaceae). It is native to theAndaman Islands,Bangladesh,Cambodia, China, India,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,Myanmar,Sri Lanka,Thailand, andVietnam.[3] Also introduced to many western countries such asCameroon,Costa Rica,Nigeria,Puerto Rico,South Africa, and United States.[4]
ThegenusChukrasia ismonotypic, with previously recognised species now considered to be synonyms.[5] "C. velutina" (this species) is listed as the provincial flower and tree ofPhrae Province,Thailand[6] and is widely used inAyurveda as an important medicinal plant.
The trees are tall with a cylindrical bole and spreading crown.C. velutina leaves are abruptly pinnate or bipinnate with leaflets that alternate or are subopposite, entire and unequal at the base. The erect, oblongflowers, which are rather large and born in terminal panicles, possess four to five petals. Mature fruits are a septifragally three to five valved capsule.[4] This is one of the largest trees ofSouth Asia and theEast Indies One specimen near Kanchanaburi,Thailand measures 21 m (69 ft) girth and is 65 m (213 ft) height.[7]
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Leaves ofC. velutina containquercetin and its 3-galactoside,galloyl glucoside,tannic acid and aflavone. The bark containssitosterol,melianone,scopoletin,6,7-dimethoxycoumarin,tetranorterpenes andtabularin. The wood containsbussein homologue and chukrasins A, B, C, D and F. The root contains atriterpene,cedrelone. Seeds contain tetranorterpenes,phragmalinesters and 12 α-OAc-phyramalin.[8] Four new meliacin esters 3,30-diisobutyrates and 3-isobutyrate-30-propionates of phragmalin and 12-acetoxyphragmalin have also been isolated from seeds.[9][page needed]
