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Meliaceae Temporal range: Campanian–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Melia azedarach in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Meliaceae Juss.
Subfamilies
Cedreloideae Melioideae

Meliaceae, the mahogany family, is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and a few herbaceous plants, mangroves) in the order Sapindales.

They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules, and by syncarpous, apparently bisexual (but actually mostly cryptically unisexual) flowers borne in panicles, cymes, spikes or clusters. Most species are evergreen, but some are deciduous, either in the dry season or in winter.

The family includes about 53 genera and about 600 known species, with a pantropical distribution; one genus (Toona) extends north into temperate China and south into southeast Australia, another (Synoum) into southeast Australia, and another (Melia) nearly as far north. They most commonly grow as understory trees in rainforests, but are also found in mangroves and arid regions.

The fossil record of the family extends back into the Late Cretaceous.

Uses

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Various species are used for vegetable oil, soap-making, insecticides, and highly prized wood (mahogany).

Some economically important genera and species belong to this family:

• Azadirachta indica, neem tree (India)
• Carapa: includes the "crabwood trees" e.g. Carapa procera (South America and Africa)
• Cedrela odorata Central and South America; timber also known as Spanish-cedar
• Entandrophragma: includes sapele (Entandrophragma cylindricum), and "utile" or "sipo" (E. utile) of tropical Africa
• Guarea, the genus of Bossé or "pink mahogany", includes: G. thompsonii and G. cedrata (Africa)
• Khaya includes: Ivory Coast Mahogany and Senegal Mahogany (tropical Africa)
• Lansium domesticum, lanzones, grown for its edible fruit in Southeast Asia
• Melia azedarach, Chinaberry or white cedar (Indomalaya and Australasia)
• Sandoricum koetjape, santol, grown for its edible fruit in Southeast Asia and South Asia
• Swietenia is the classic "mahogany" genus from the tropical Americas
• Toona: the genus of "toon tree" species (tropical Asia, Malesia, and Australia), especially Toona ciliata

Genera

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58 genera are currently accepted.

The family is divided into two subfamilies, Cedreloideae and Melioideae, which are supported by phylogenetic evidence.

Subfamily Cedreloideae

This is also known as subfamily Swietenioideae.

• Cedrela P.Browne – Americas
• Toona M.Roem. - Asia

other tribes and genera:

• Capuronianthus J.-F.Leroy
• Carapa Aubl.
• Chukrasia A.Juss.
• Entandrophragma C.DC.
• Khaya A.Juss.
• Lovoa Harms
• Neobeguea J.-F.Leroy
• Pseudocedrela Harms
• Schmardaea H.Karst.
• Soymida A.Juss.
• Swietenia Jacq.
• Xylocarpus J.Koenig

Subfamily Melioideae

• Aglaia Lour.
• Lansium Corrêa
• Reinwardtiodendron Koord.

- related genera:

• Chisocheton Blume
• Didymocheton Blume
• Dysoxylum Blume ex Raspail
• Epicharis Blume
• Goniocheton Blume
• Prasoxylon M.Roem.
• Pseudocarapa Hemsl.
• Sphaerosacme Wall. ex M.Roem.

tribe: Guareeae - Africa

• Guarea Allemão ex L.
• Heckeldora Pierre
• Leplaea Vermoesen
• Neoguarea (Harms) E.J.M.Koenen & J.J.de Wilde
• Ruagea H.Karst.
• Turraeanthus Baill.

tribe: Melieae

• Melia L.
• Azadirachta A.Juss.

tribe: Sandoriceae

• Sandoricum Cav.

tribe: Turraeeae

• Calodecaryia Leroy
• Humbertioturraea J.-F.Leroy
• Munronia Wight
• Naregamia Wight & Arn.
• Nymania Lindb.
• Turraea L.

- related genera:

• Anthocarapa Pierre

tribe: Trichilieae

• Astrotrichilia (Harms) T.D.Penn. & Styles
• Cipadessa Blume
• Ekebergia Sparrm.
• Heynea Roxb.
• Lepidotrichilia (Harms) T.D.Penn. & Styles
• Malleastrum (Baill.) J.-F.Leroy
• Owenia F.Muell.
• Pseudobersama Verdc.
• Pseudoclausena T.Clark
• Pterorhachis Harms
• Trichilia P.Browne
• Walsura Roxb.

- related genera:

• Quivisianthe Baill.

tribe: Vavaeeae

• Vavaea Benth.

tribe unassigned:

• Aphanamixis Blume
• Cabralea A.Juss.
• Synoum A.Juss.

Notes

1. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083.
2. Of a gynoecium, made up of united carpels
3. Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1. Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
4. Heywood, V.H.; Brummitt, R.K.; Culham, A.; Seberg, O. (2007). Flowering Plant Families of the World. Ontario, Canada: Firefly Books. p. 207. ISBN 9781842461655.
5. Atkinson, Brian A. (January 2020). "Fossil evidence for a Cretaceous rise of the mahogany family". American Journal of Botany. 107 (1): 139–147. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1416. ISSN 0002-9122. PMID 31903551.
6. Meliaceae Juss. Archived 2023-12-12 at the Wayback Machine Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
7. Holzmeyer, L., Hauenschild, F., Mabberley, D.J. and Muellner-Riehl, A.N. (2021), Confirmed polyphyly, generic recircumscription and typification of Dysoxylum (Meliaceae), with revised disposition of currently accepted species. Taxon, 70: 1248-1272. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12591
8. ^ Gouvea CF, Dornelas MC, Rodriguez AP (2008). "Floral Development in the Tribe Cedreleae (Meliaceae, Sub-family Swietenioideae): Cedrela and Toona". Annals of Botany. 101 (1): 39–48. doi:10.1093/aob/mcm279. PMC 2701842. PMID 17981877.
9. "Missouri Botanic Garden: list of Meliaceae genera (retrieved 18 January 2018)". Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
10. "Koenen E (2011) Phylogenetic and biogeographic studies in Guareeae (Meliaceae: Melioideae) - (retrieved 18 January 2018)". Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
11. Koenen E (2011) ibid.

References

• Pennington, T.D. & Styles, B.T. (1975): A generic monograph of the Meliaceae. Blumea 22: 419–540.

External links

• Meliaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
• Project Meliaceae

• Meliaceae
• Sapindales families