tack by cll•y-^YOod termites, but the sapwood is 

 very susceptible to decay and insects. From West 

 Indies mahoijany the wood difi'ers in being more 

 open-grained, ligliter in weiglit, and softer. 



This is one of the conunonest woods for furni- 

 ture manufacture and cabinetmaking in Puerto 

 Rico, being imported in large quantities from Mex- 

 ico as rough lumber. Limited amounts of small 

 logs come from local plantations also. Other uses 

 mostly elsewhere include face veneer, interior 

 trim, paneling, burial caskets, interiors of boats 

 and ships, turning, musical instruments, molds, 

 dies, and patternmaking. 



This sjjecies is now much more important com- 

 mercially than West Indies mahogany, because of 

 its more extensive range in Central and South 

 America and its delayed utilization. British Hon- 

 duras was established as a colony for the prized 

 timbers of mahogany and logwood. Timber ex- 

 jiorted from other tropical American countries is 

 often designated by the country of origin, for 

 example, Brazilian mahogany. 



With straight tall trunk and few branches, this 

 is a handsome street and shade tree in tropical 

 countries, also producing valuable timber. The 

 bark is high in tannin content. Also reported to 

 be a honey plant. 



Planted extensively in the public forests of 

 Puerto Rico and as a shade tree in patios and 

 along roadsides in Puerto Rico and St. Croix and 

 perhaps others of the Virgin Islands. One of the 

 most promising species for forestry on well- 

 drained deep soils in the lower mountain and moist 

 limestone regions of Puerto Rico. It withstands 

 shade, grows rapidly, and produces a tree of good 

 form. 



Public forests. — Cambalache, Carite, Guaja- 

 taca, Guilarte, Luquillo, Slaricao, Rio Abajo, 

 Suslia, Toro Negi'o. 



Range. — Southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Veracruz, 

 Tabasco, and Yucatan Peninsula southward), At- 

 lantic slope of Central America from British Hon- 

 duras to Panama, and in Colombia, Venezuela, and 

 portions of upper Amazon region in Peru, Bolivia, 

 and Brazil. Until about 1923 it was not known 

 from the Amazon region, where a large supply of 

 timber occurs in the virgin forests. Introduced 

 into southern Florida, Puerto Rico and Virgin Is- 

 lands, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, India, and 

 other tropical areas. 



Other common names. — caoba de Honduras 

 (Puerto Rico) ; broadleaf mahogany, bigleaf ma- 

 hogany. Central American mahogany (Virgin 

 Islands); caoba, caoba hondureiia (Spanish); 

 chacalte (Guatemala) ; caoba americana (Colom- 

 bia) ; aguano (Peru) ; mahogany, Honduras ma- 

 hogany, British Honduras mahogany, Venezuelan 

 mahogany, Peruvian mahogany, Brazilian ma- 

 hogany (United States, English, commerce) ; 

 acajou Amerique (French, commerce) ; mahogany 

 Honduras ((xuadeloupe, Martinique); acajou du 

 Honduras (Guadeloupe). 



Botanical synonyms. — Snuetenia ravdolUl 

 Pittier (caoba venezolana, Venzuelan mahogany), 

 S. helizensis Lundell, 8. knd-ovii Gleasoji & Pan- 

 shin, S. feftsmannr/. Harms. 



What is believed to l)e a natural hybrid between 

 this and the following species {tSirietenia macro- 

 phylla X mahagoni) is found in St. Croix. Wliere 

 trees of the 2 species have been planted together, 

 some of the seedlings are intermediate in appear- 

 ance. The intermediate is known locally as me- 

 diumleaf mahogany because the leaflet width is be- 

 tween that of the parent species. In preliminary 

 experiments the plants grow rapidly and appar- 

 ently show hybrid vigor. Also, the wood is of high 

 quality like that of the second species. 



MAHOGANY FAMILY (MELIACEAE) 

 112. Caoba dominicana, Dominican mahogany, West Indies mahogany 



West Indies mahogany is commonly planted in 

 Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands though not 

 native. This first-discovered species of mahog- 

 any, the world's premier cabinet wood, is easily 

 recognized by: (1) its distinctive leaves, alternate 

 and even pinnate, 4-7 inches long, bearing 4-10 

 paired shiny green leaflets, ovate to lance-.shaped, 

 I-214 inches long and 1/2"% inch broad, long- 

 pointed and very conspicuously unequal-sided; 

 and (2) the odd, egg-shaped or pear-shaped, dark 

 brown erect seed capsules Si^-o^ inches long and 

 11/4-2 inches in diameter, hard and thick-walled, 

 splitting upward from the base into 5 parts and 

 releasing many flat long-winged seeds. 



A medium-sized to large deciduous tree with 

 maximum size 40-60 feet in height and 3-41/2 feet 



250 



Swietenia mahagoni Jacq.* 



in trunk diameter. The trunk is usually short and 

 has swollen or buttressed base when large, and 

 produces a spreading, much-branched crown. 

 Bark on small trees is smoothish, slightly fissured, 

 and gray, becoming dark reddish brown and scaly 

 on large trunks. The inner bark is pink and bit- 

 ter. Young twigs are pale red, becoming brown- 

 ish gray with many raised dots (lenticels). 



Leaflets are borne along a slender yellow-green 

 axis on slender stalks less than 14 inch long. 

 These leaflets have the inner or upper edge 

 rounded at base but edges not toothed, are slightly 

 thickened or leathery, shiny green above and paler 

 beneath, and have a reddish-brown midrib. 



The flower clusters (panicles) are lateral, 2-6 

 inches long, and branched. Several to many small 



