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Swietenia macrophylla

Broadleaf Mahogany

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General Information

COMMON NAMES: Broadleaf Mahogany, Bigleaf Mahogany, Large-leaved Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Mexico - Bolivia - Brazil

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Not naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: (Forestry), (Material (Wood))

KEY FEATURES: Large deciduous tree, typically to 35m. LEAVES to 35x20cm, compound with 3-6(-8) leaflets. LEAFLETS shiny dark green, narrow-oval, typically to 12x4cm, slightly symmetrical, drawn out to sharp tip. FLOWERS in large open clusters. FLOWER small, calyx 4-5 lobed with terminal cilia; petals 4-5, terminal cilia; male and female flowers separate. FRUIT 15cm, 5-valves, woody.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Small-leaf Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) has 2-4(-5) pairs of leaflets, with blades 6x3cm; calyx lobes and petals are not ciliate.

Enlarged Image of 'Swietenia macrophylla'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+	++	-	+	-	-	-	-	-

Northern Group: -
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
-	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Swietenia macrophylla King
TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Sapindales; MELIACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: (Forestry), (Material (Wood)). Comments: Planted in forestry plots on Mangaia c.1989.

GENERAL NOTE: This species is the main source of true (Spanish) mahogany, a very valuable hardwood. Widely considered the best cabinet wood in the world.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.491 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.642 Tropica
p.3/573 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova

Data Update History (information):
zB02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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