Swietenia

Habit of Swietenia mahogany

Swietenia is a genus of the family of mahogany family ( Meliaceae ). The three species occur only in the Neotropics before, of course. All three types provide valuable commercial timber.

  • 4.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaves

The Swietenia species grow as deciduous trees. The timber has a red color. The alternate and spirally arranged on the branches leaves are pinnate. The bare leaflets are available on the Blattrhachis more or less opposite on opposite sides. There are no stipules present.

Inflorescences and flowers

The pendent or nearly terminal inflorescences are in the form of a thyrsus. The relatively small flowers are unisexual and four or fünfzählig double perianth. The five small sepals are fused to about half their length. The rarely four, usually five free petals are wide. The rarely eight or ten stamens usually are fused into a cup- shaped with rare eight or ten mostly cloth and rarely in between eight or ten most anthers that are inserted on the inside of the stamen tube. The disc is annular. The egg-shaped ovary is rarely four or six, usually fünfkammerig. Each ovary chamber contains 9 to 16 hanging ovules. The cylindrical style ends in a disc-shaped, rarely four, usually five-lobed stigma.

Fruit and seeds

The woody fruit capsules are oblong or ovate and usually fünffächerig. The fruit tray only a seed depends on the wing tip on the lower end of the Columella. The winged seeds have a more or less fleshy endosperm and an embryo with two thin cotyledons ( cotyledons ) and a very short radicle.

System

The genus Swietenia was erected in 1760 by Nicolaus Joseph von Jacquin in Enumeratio Systematica Plantarum, quas in insulis Caribaeis, 20. The type species is Swietenia mahogany (L.) Jacq .. The generic name honors Swietenia Gerard van Swieten. Synonyms for Swietenia are: Elutheria M.Roem, mahogany Adans, Roya Scop, Suitenia Stokes orth var. .. .

There are only three Swietenia species:

  • Swietenia humilis Zucc. It comes from western and southern Mexico to northwestern Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to Nicaragua before.
  • Big-leaf mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla King): The natural range extends from Mexico (Veracruz, Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco ) on Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama to French Guiana, Venezuela and Brazil, and Bolivia to to Peru ( Huanuco, Loreto, San Martin). She is wild in some tropical countries.
  • Swietenia mahogany (L.) Jacq. Your A natural Caribbean circulation area covers: Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica. On other Caribbean islands it is wild.

There are two naturally occurring hybrids: A is an intersection between Swietenia macrophylla and Swietenia product humilis, she was found in the overlapping area of ​​their distribution areas. The other called, Swietenia × aubrevilleana, was built on plantations of Swietenia macrophylla and two species of Swietenia mahogani.

Use

The wood of Swietenia macrophylla is marketed under the trade names: American Mahogany, Genuine Mahogany, Honduras, Tabasco, Nicaragua mahogany ( in German-speaking countries ); caoba (Central America ); Aguano (Panama, Peru, Brazil); orura (Venezuela ); zopilotes (Mexico ); sapoton (Suriname ); Yulu (Nicaragua ); crura (Bolivia ); acajou d' Amérique ( in French-speaking countries ); American mahogani baywood, ( Great Britain); broadleaf mahogany (USA). All three species are CITES protected: Swietenia humilis and Swietenia mahogany in Annex II, and Swietenia macrophylla in Annex III for Costa Rica.

Swell

  • Hua Peng & David J. Mabberley: Swietenia in the Flora of China, Volume 11, 2008, p 111: Online. (Section Description and systematics)
  • Fernando Patiño Valera: Genetic Resources of Swietenia and Cedrela in the Neotropics. The genus Swietenia at FAO, 1997 ( section systematics)
Rachis Ovary (botany) Cereal germ Agricultural Research Service
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