West Indian Mahogany
Swietenia mahagoni
Also known as Small-Leaved Mahagony
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- February-December
How to identify West Indian Mahogany
Identify West Indian Mahogany by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Small leaflets (West Indian mahogany).
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- Confirm flower colour: White/cream.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Panicle.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: February-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Swietenia mahagoni
- Genus
- Swietenia
- Family
- Meliaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- America
- Distribution
- Tropical America, also cultivated elsewhere
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- February-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.“The leaves are pinnate, 12–25 centimetres (4.7–9.8 in) long, with four to eight leaflets, each leaflet 5–6 centimetres (2.0–2.4 in) long and 2–3 centimetres (0.79–1.18 in) broad;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for West Indian Mahogany itself; the rest are typical of the Meliaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White/creamrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- PaniclerecordedA branching cluster of clusters.“The flowers are small, produced in panicles.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.“The fruit is a woody capsule 5–10 centimetres (2.0–3.9 in) long and 3–6 centimetres (1.2–2.4 in) broad, containing numerous winged seeds.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for West Indian Mahogany itself; the rest are typical of the Meliaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Kannada
- ಸ್ವೀಟೆನಿಯಾ ಮಹಾಗೋನಿ
- Malayalam
- ചെറിയ മഹാഗണി
About West Indian Mahogany
West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) is a tree in the Meliaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala and 4 other states. It grows in garden plant. Flowering and fruiting run from February to December.
Uses
It is cut for timber and furniture.
In culture
It is used as an official or regional emblem.
Meliaceae
Mahogany/Neem family
West Indian Mahogany belongs to the Meliaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Meliaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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