Genus SWIETENIA, Linn. 
Cedrelaceae. Decendria Monogynia. 
Syst. Nat. Syst. Lin. 
Derivation. This genus was named in honour of the illustrious Gerard L. B. Van Swieten, a celebrated naturalist and physi- 
cian of the last century. 
Generic Characters. Calyx short, obtusely 5-cleft. Petals 5, reflexed. Filaments 10, united into a sub- 
campanulate, 10-toothed tube; anthers included in the tube, alternate with the teeth, attached by the 
middle, apiculate. Style short ; stigma discoid, 5-radiate. Ovary ovoid, surrounded at the base by aa 
annular disk, 5-celled, with about 12 ovules in each cell. Capsule ovoid, 5-celled, dehiscing from the 
base upward, with 5 septifragal valves ; the very thick and woody sarcocarp at length separable from 
the endocarp ; the axis large, persistent, 5-angled above, 5-winged below, with the dissepiments. Seeds 
suspended from the summit of the axis, about 12 in each cell, imbricated in two rows, rather flat ; the 
thickened and spongy integument expanded above into an oblong wing, which is traversed by the filiform 
funiculus. Embryo transverse ; radicle very short, looking towards the side of the cell. Cotyledons 
conferruminate and confounded with the fleshy albumen. Leaves abruptly pinnate ; leaflets small, 
somewhat inequilateral. Panicles axillary, or somewhat terminal, loosely flowered. Torrey and Gray, 
from Ad. Jussieu. 
^HE genus Swietenia of Linnaeus has been subdivided by modern 
botanists, and at present, comprises but one species. The Swie- 
tenia febrifuga has been formed into the Soymida ; Swietenia 
senegalensis, or African mahogany of Sierra Leone, has been 
changed into Khaya ; Swietenia chloroxylon, or East India satin- 
wood, has been formed into Chloroxylon swietenia ; and the 
Swietenia chikrassia, a light-coloured, compact East India wood, has been 
changed into Chikrassia tabidaris. 
