Swietenia macrophylla
Meliaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Swietenia macrophylla

Swietenia macrophylla

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Big leaf mahogany is a slow-growing, very large, evergreen or briefly deciduous tree with an open, rounded crown. It usually reaches a height of 30 - 40 metres, but specimens up to 60 metres tall can be found in favourable conditions[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. , 337 Title Tropical Tree Seed Manual Publication Author Vosso. J. Editor. Website http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ttsm Publisher USDA Forest Service. Year 2002 ISBN Description An extremely good guide, it can also be downloaded in its entirety from the address shown above. ]. The bole is straight and cylindrical with a buttressed base - it usually has a diameter of 100 - 120cm, but in exceptional conditions up to 280cm has been recorded[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. A very well-known and valuable timber, mahogany is regarded as the world’s finest timber for high-class furniture and cabinet work. The tree has been heavily exploited within its native range, becoming virtually extinct in some areas, with populations everywhere in steep decline[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is now cultivated in plantations in many parts of the tropics[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. It is planted as an ornamental lawn tree in peninsular Malaysia[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ]. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north through Central America to Mexico.
HabitatFound in all forest types, from the edge of the pine savannah to the climax rainforest, but mostly in mixed hardwood forest belts, along riverbanks, on deep alluvial soils of considerable fertility[ 303 Title World Agroforesty Centre Publication Author Website http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc. ].