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Family: Meliaceae (mahoganies)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) >  Eudicotyledons >  Core Eudicots >  Rosids >  Eurosid II > Order: Sapindales

Genera native or naturalised (*) in southern Africa

List from Archer (2000)

* Cedrela

About 8 species, native to the Neotropics. West Indian Cedar Cedrela odorata (native from Mexico to Ecuador) is grown as a timber tree in southern Africa.

Ekebergia

The 4 species are native to Africa, with 3 indigenous to southern Africa.

Ekebergia pterophylla (Rock ash)

Entandrophragma

About 11 species, native to Africa, with 2 species in southern Africa.

* Khaya (African mahoganies)

About 7 species, native to tropical Africa and Madagascar. Khaya anthotheca (= Khaya nyasica) has been planted as a forest tree in southern Africa.

* Melia

About 3-5 species, native from India to China, SE Asia, and Australia. Seringa or Persina Lilac Melia azedarach is widely grown in southern African parks and gardens (despite the fruit being highly toxic), and has become naturalised and a weed in many places (mainly savanna, roadsides, urban spaces, wasteland and along river banks). 

Melia azedarach (Seringa, Persian Lilac)

Nymania

The only species, Nymania capensis, is endemic to southern Africa.

Nymania capensis

Pseudobersama

One species, Pseudobersama mossambicensis, native to tropical and subtropical East Africa, extending as far south as northern KwaZulu-Natal.

* Toona

About 6 species, native from Indomalaysian region through to northern Australia. Toona ciliata (Toon tree, Toonboom) has been grown as a timber and ornamental tree in southern Africa and has become naturalised in the eastern region. It is a declared Category 3 invader plant in South Africa.

Trichilia

About 85 species, native to tropics and subtropics (mainly America), with 2 species indigenous to southern Africa.

Turraea

About 50 species, native to Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarenes and the Comores, with 6 species in southern Africa.

Turraea obtusifolia

Publications

  • Archer, R.H. 2000. Meliaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 353-356. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

 

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