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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. |
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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. |
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Nymania
The only species, Nymania
capensis (Chinese lanterns), is endemic to southern Africa. |
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Pseudobersama
One species,
Pseudobersama mossambicensis, native to tropical and subtropical
East Africa, extending as far south as northern KwaZulu-Natal. |
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Trichilia
About 85
species, native to tropics and subtropics (mainly America), with 2 species native to southern Africa . |
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Turraea
About 50 species, native to Africa, Madagascar, the
Mascarenes and the Comores, with six species native to southern Africa. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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). |
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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. |
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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. |
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Lovoa swynnertonii (False
sapele)
Native to tropical Africa. |
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Swietenia mahagoni (Spanish
mahogany, West Indian mahogany)
Native to the USA (Florida), The Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola. |
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Carapa procera (Uganda crabwood)
Native to tropical Africa. |
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Azadirachta indica (Neem,
Margosa)
Native to Burma. See
Wikipedia |
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Dysoxylum parasiticum
Native to New Guinea. See
PNGTrees |
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Aphanamixis polystachya
Native from India to the Philippines. |
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Owenia acidula (Emu apple, Sour
plum)
Native to eastern Australia. |
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Publications
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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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Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa.
Jacana, Johannesburg.
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