84 DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



leaflets, green, shining, and about two and a half inches long. Flowers small, 

 in a thyrse, yellowish-white. 



This is the only species of the genus. 



Geography. — The mahogany is tropical or subtropical. It is indigenous 

 to the West Indies, the Bahamas, Central America, and to southern Florida. 

 It has been planted and is successfully growing in southern British India. 



SwiETENiA MAHOGANi (Mahogfany). 



Etymology. — Sicietenki was the name given by Jaquin, in honor of Gerard 

 L. B. Van Swieten. Mahogani is the name by which the tree is known to 

 the aborigines of South and Central America, but the signification of this is 

 unknown. 



History. — This beautiful wood was introduced to notice in the latter part 

 of the sixteenth century. A few planks were sent to Dr. Gibbon of London 



Mahogany. 



by his brother, a sea-captain, sailing to the West Indies. At the time he re- 

 ceived them he was erecting a dwelling, and gave the planks to his joiner to 

 finish some part of the house ; but the workmen refused to use them on ac- 

 count of the hardness of the wood. The cabinet-maker was then ordered to 



