594 



Mahogany 



oughly naturalized in the southern States from South Carolina to Texas, and it 



withstands the winter as far north 

 as Chesapeake bay and Little Rock, 

 Arkansas. It attains a height of 15 

 to 20 meters, with a trunk sometimes 

 2 meters thick, and flowers in the 

 spring in the southern States. 



The bark is furrowed, the twigs 

 smooth. The deciduous leaves are 

 stalked and twice compound, the 

 numerous leaflets ovate to clHptic, 

 thin, pointed, cut-toothed or lobed, 3 

 to 7 cm. long, and bright green; the 

 stalked panicles of flowers are 3 dm. 

 long or less, the flower-stalks 4 to 10 

 mm. long; the sepals are elHptic to 

 oblong-lanceolate, pointed, about 2 

 mm. long; the purpHsh petals are 

 Fig. 547. China Tree. narrowly oblong, blunt, about i cm. 



The drupes are yellow, nearly globular to oblong, 1.5 to 2 cm. in diameter, 

 smooth, enclosing a hard brown pit. 



The pits are bored and strung Hke beads into necklaces, whence the name 

 Bead tree, sometimes applied to this species. The tree grows rapidly, and is 

 much planted for shade and ornament in the southern States and in the West 

 Indies. It has a broad round top and rather dense deciduous foliage. 



long 



II. MAHOGANY 



GENUS SWIETENIA JACQUIN 

 Species Swietenia Mahagoni Jacquin 



HIS important tropical tree enters our area in peninsular Florida and 

 the Keys, where it was formerly more abundant than now, as the large 

 trees have been cut down for their valuable timber. It occurs in the 

 Bahamas, and the other West Indies, but most abundantly on the 

 continent from Mexico to Peru; its maximum height is 25 meters, with a trunk 

 diameter of 4 m. It is sometimes called Madeira and Madeira redwood. 



The trunk is straight and sometimes very large, with immense buttresses at its 

 base. The branches are large and spreading, forming a dense round head. The 

 bark is about 16 mm. thick, its surface breaking into thick, short, dark reddish 

 brown scales. The twigs are angular, smooth and reddish, soon becoming round 

 and gray. The alternate leaves are persistent, evenly pinnate, i to 2 dm. long, 

 consisting of 4 to 8 leaflets and a slender, smooth leaf-stalk which is enlarged at 



