MAHOGANY FAMILY (MELIACEAE) 



Key to the 7 species illustrated (Nos. lOS-114) 

 A. Leaves bipinnate, leaflets with toothed margins — 110. McUa azedaracft.* 

 AA. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets not toothed. 



B. Leaflets all paired (even pinnate), a.symmetrlcal. 

 C. Leaflets mostly many, 10 or more. 



D. Leaflets 10-16 (sometimes 30), veins not sunken; flowers and fruit 5-parted — 108. Cedrela odorata. 

 DD. Leaflets 8-20, veins sunken ; flowers and fruit -l-parted — 109. Guarea trichilioides. 



CC. Leaflets 4-12. 



E. Leaflets 2%-6 inches long — 111. Swietenia macrophyUa* 

 EE. Leaflets 1-2V2 inches long — 112. Swietenia mahagoni* 



BB. Leaflets of odd number (odd pinnate). 



F. Leaflets 7-21, symmetrical, about equal in size, veins slightly sunken — 113. Trichilia hirta. 

 FF. Leaflets 3 or .% (.sometimes 7), asymmetrical, the end leaflet largest and lowest leaflets smallest; veins 

 much sunken, causing a wrinkled appearance — 114. Trichilia pallida. 



108. Cedro hembra, Spanish-cedar 



This native tree with valuable aromatic wood is 

 distinjTuished by : (1) the alternate, long, even pin- 

 nate leaves 1-2 feet or more in lenfjth with 10-22 

 paired lance-shaped, oblonjj, or ovate leaflets long- 

 pointed at apex and oblique at the rounded or 

 short-pointed base; (2) many narrow yellow-gi-een 

 flowers i/i-% inch long, appearing tubular but 

 with 5 narrow petals, in long loose spreading ter- 

 minal clusters; (3) brown elliptic seed capsules 

 about 1-13/4 inches long and % inch in diameter, 

 splitting widely into 5 parts and releasing many 

 long-winged seeds; and (4) the odor of garlic in 

 flowens, crushed leaves, and cut twigs, and garlic 

 taste in twigs and bark. 



A large deciduous tree 40-100 feet high and 1-3 

 feet in trunk diameter, sometimes with slight but- 

 tres.ses at base, and with large rounded or tall 

 crown. The gray or brown bark is thick, becom- 

 ing rougli and furrowed. Inner bark is light 

 brown to pinkish with bitter taste of garlic. The 

 stout gray-brown twigs have raised jjrown dots 

 (lenticels) and large prominent rounded leaf scars. 



The leaves have a greenish-brown roimd axis 

 bearing the leaflets on slender stalks Vs-% inch 

 long. Leaflet blades are 2-6 inches long and 1-21^ 

 inches wide, slightly curved, not toothed on edges, 

 thin, hairless, green and slightly shiny on upper 

 surface and dull green beneath. The lateral veins, 

 which often are slightly sunken in upper surface, 

 commonly are nearly parallel with midrib for a 

 minute distance at base before forking at a wide 

 angle. 



The flower clusters (panicles) 6-16 inches long 

 bear many flowers on slender, usually hairless 

 branches. Flowers have a calyx more than 14 g inch 

 long in form of cup, irregularly toothed and split 

 on 1 side, hairless; yellow-green corolla about 

 5/1 6 inch long, appearing tubular but with 5 narrow 

 oblong petals, minutely hairy on outside, united to 

 the disk like a tube; 5 stamens with filaments at- 

 tached on the narrow columnar disk, shorter than 

 petals; and also on the disk the pistil i/g inch long 

 including 5-celled ovary, style, and rounded 

 stigma. 



242 



Cedrela odorata L. 



The woody seed capsule is rounded at both ends. 

 It has a central 5-angled axis with broad apex, to 

 which are attached many long-winged seeds % 

 inch long, about 18,000 per pound. Flowering 

 from June to August, the fruits maturing and 

 remaining on the tree in fall and winter. 



Sa]iwood is whitish to light brown, the heart- 

 wood light brown to reddish brown with promi- 

 nent growth rings (semi-ring-porous). The wood 

 resembles mahogany (caoba) but has the charac- 

 teristic fragrant odor of S])anish-cedar (cedro) 

 and a bitter taste. It is soft, lightweight (specific 

 gravity 0.45), strong, easily worked, and takes a 

 smooth polisli. It is durable, resistant to dry-wood 

 termites, and not attacked by other insects. Rate 

 of air-seasoning is rapid, and amount of degrade 

 is minor. Machining characteristics are as fol- 

 lows : planing, shaping, mortising, and sanding ai-e 

 good ; turning is fair ; and boring is poor. 



Spanish-cedar or cedro (Cedrela) including 7 

 or more species with similar woods is widely dis- 

 tributed in the New World from West Indies and 

 Mexico south to Argentina (except Chile). It is 

 the most important timber for local use in tropical 

 America, the lumber being used extensively for 

 general construction, carpentry, and suitable for 

 many other purposes. This fine cabinet wood is 

 preferred for furniture, cabinetmaking, carpentry, 

 doors and windows, interior trim, shelves, canned 

 figures, etc. Being resistant to insects and aro- 

 matic, the wood is a favorite for chests and ward- 

 robes. Elsewhere it is used also for veneer, ply- 

 wood, and boat parts. In the past, quantities were 

 exported to the United States and other countries 

 for cigarboxes, but now little is used for this pur- 

 pose. Indians made dugout canoes from the 

 trunks and paddles from the wood. The astringent 

 bark has been employed in home remedies. 



This and related species are commonly grown 

 in tropical America as handsome shade trees along 

 streets and highways, in parks, and pastures, and 

 in plantations of coffee and cacao. Also a honey 

 plant. 



Because of the valuable wood the native trees of 

 this species have been reduced to scattered remote 



