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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

Fifty-two genera and 621 species, mainly tropical in distribution. Six genera and 15 species native to southern Africa, an additional four genera and four species are naturalised, and an additional eight genera and 10 species are cultivated in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Archer (2000).

Ekebergia

The four species are native to Africa, with three native to southern Africa.

Ekebergia pterophylla (Rock ash)

Entandrophragma

About 11 species, native to Africa, with two species native to southern Africa and a further species, Entandrophragma utile (Sapele mahogany), cultivated in the region.

Nymania

The only species, Nymania capensis (Chinese lanterns), 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.

Trichilia

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

Turraea

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

Turraea obtusifolia

Genera naturalised in southern Africa

List from Archer (2000).

Cedrela

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

Khaya (African mahoganies)

About seven species, native to tropical Africa and Madagascar. Khaya anthotheca (= Khaya nyasica) has been planted as a forest tree in southern Africa and become naturalised. Khaya senegalensis (Senegal mahogany) is cultivated in the region but is not naturalised.

Melia

About 3-5 species, native from India to China, SE Asia, and Australia. Melia azedarach (Seringa or Persina Lilac) 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)

Toona

About six 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.

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). Each of these genera are only represented by one species in southern Africa, so the species are listed instead.

Chukrasia tabularis (Indian mahogany)

Native from Sri Lanka to China.

 

Lovoa swynnertonii (False sapele)

Native to tropical Africa.

 

Swietenia mahagoni (Spanish mahogany, West Indian mahogany)

Native to the USA (Florida), The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola.

 

Carapa procera (Uganda crabwood)

Native to tropical Africa.

 

Azadirachta indica (Neem, Margosa)

Native to Burma. See Wikipedia

 

Dysoxylum parasiticum

Native to New Guinea. See PNGTrees

 

Aphanamixis polystachya

Native from India to the Philippines.

 

Owenia acidula (Emu apple, Sour plum)

Native to eastern Australia.

 

Publications

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

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.

 

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