THE NAMES OF MAHOGANY 



BY 



Dr. John Gifford, Founder and Former Editor of this Magazine 



TERM "mahogany" is ap- common native African name of the 



plied to several woods which tree, and senegaloisis means that it 



are in no way related to the comes from the region of the Senegal, 



genuine article, and to several woods One of the Indian mahoganies is Soy- 



which are closely akin to it and re- inida febrifuga, Soymida being a na- 



semble it in many ways. tive name and febrifuga indicating 



The scientific name is Swietenia tnat the P arts of th e tree ar e useful in 

 mahagoni Jacq. The genus Swietenia combatting fever, 

 was named for a Holland doctor by With the foreign species of mahog- 

 the name of Swieten, and the specific any the writer is not familiar, al- 

 name mahagoni is merely another though the African mahogany is a 

 form of the common name mahogany, common wood of commerce. He 

 which had its origin in the old Ameri- knows only of the genus Swietenia, 

 can Indian name of the tree. The and of this genus only one species ma- 

 French for mahogany is mahagoni, hagoni, although there may be other 

 and since the botanist who named it species in tropical America. Our ma- 

 was a Frenchman, this accounts for hogany varies considerably in charac- 

 the use of the letter a in the second ter in the various regions in which it 

 syllable of the specific name, instead occurs, but these differences are prob- 

 of o as in our English word mahog- ably clue to the great variety of con- 

 an Y- ditions under which it grows and are 



For the benefit of those not familiar not sufficiently marked and fixed to 

 with botany it is proper to explain warrant the formation of a greater 

 that every known plant has an official number of species. The seed of the 

 scientific name. Each plant has a Bahaman mahogany, if planted in the 

 generic or family name, followed by a lowlands of Honduras and Mexico, 

 specific or individual name. These would no doubt produce a tree indis- 

 scientific names are often of interest tinguishable from that of its native 

 in themselves, in that they perpetuate neighbors, and vice versa. There is 

 the common or local name, or the great variation in the quality of a 

 name of some person directly or in- wood, due to its location, 

 directly associated with the plant, or in- The tendency of botanists to name 

 dicate a region in which it grows, new spec i e s on insufficient grounds is 

 some striking feature in connection unfortunate and unscientific, and 

 with it, or even some error in refer- me rely lumbers our vocabulary with a 

 ence to it. As an illustration of the lot of lise i es s names, and renders more 

 last, the term fiddlewood ' in the confusing a subject already much con- 

 English tropics is of interest. The fused f t is almost impossible for the 

 scientific generic name is Citharexy- practical man to keep track of these 

 htm, a translation of fiddlewood. The changes in the obscure literature in 

 wood, however, is absolutely unfit for which they are often published. Even 

 violins, and has never been used for tnen , if he knows of such changes he 

 that purpose. The term 'fiddle" in is susp icious of the standing of the 

 this case is merely a corruption of the aut hor and the grounds on which 

 French fidele, meaning true or strong. these changes are 'founded. A scien- 



Khaya senegalensis is the name of tific name is worse than useless, unless 



the African mahogany. Khaya is the it is universally accepted and used. 



