Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Sapindales

Meliaceae - Mahogany family

Styles, B.T. & White, F. (1991) Meliaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

White, F. & Styles, B.T. (1963) Meliaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1)

Description of the family

Trees or shrubs. Stipules 0. Leaves (in ours) alternate, simple (Turraea) or compound. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, but well-developed sterile vestiges of the non-functional sex may be present, actinomorphic, mostly 4-5-merous. Sepals 4-6, connate to ± free. Petals usually 4-5, free. Disk present. Stamens (5-)8-10(-20), usually partly or completely fused to form a staminal tube and usually bearing appendages. Ovary superior, (2-)4-5(-20)-locular. Style 1. Fruit a capsule or drupe. Seeds usually with an aril, winged or with a corky or woody outer covering.

Worldwide: 51 genera and 565 species mostly tropical with a few subtropical.

Zimbabwe: 9 cultivated genera and 12 cultivated taxa.

Melia azedarach

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Azadirachta A. Juss.Description, Image
Cedrela P. BrowneDescription
Ekebergia Sparrm.Description, Image
Khaya A. Juss.Description, Image
Melia L.Description, Image
Swietenia Jacq.Description
Toona (Endl.) M. Roem.Description, Image
Trichilia P. BrowneDescription, Image
Turraea L.Description

Other sources of information about Meliaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Meliaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Meliaceae
Flora of Malawi: Meliaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Meliaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Meliaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Meliaceae
Flora of Zambia: Meliaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Meliaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Meliaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Meliaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Meliaceae
Wikipedia: Meliaceae


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-23

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2023). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Meliaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=135, retrieved 24 March 2023

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