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: 8 genera and 15 taxa.

Toona ciliata

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

GenusContent
Ekebergia Sparrm.Description, Image
Entandrophragma C. DC.Description, Image
Khaya A. Juss.Description, Image
Lovoa HarmsDescription
Melia L.Description, Image
Toona (Endl.) M. Roem.Description, Image
Trichilia P. BrowneDescription, Image
Turraea L.Description, Image

Key to Genera

Display key

Other sources of information about Meliaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Meliaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Meliaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated 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: cultivated Meliaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Meliaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Meliaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Meliaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Meliaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Meliaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Meliaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Meliaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Meliaceae
Wikipedia: Meliaceae
Plants of the World Online: Meliaceae
Tropicos: Meliaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Family page: Meliaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=135, retrieved 19 March 2024

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