Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq.
| Kannada Name : | - |
| Common Name : | Small - leaved Mahogany. Cuban Mahogany |
| Family Name : | Meliaceae |
| Scientific Name : | Swietenia mahagoni |
| Species Type : | Exotic |
| Phenology : | Evergreen |
| Conservation Status : | Least concern |
| Flowering Period : | March - April |
| Fruiting Period : | September - November |
| Origin : | North America |
Uses
The stem bark is considered to be antiseptic, astringent and febrifuge. It is taken orally as a decoction for diarrhoea and dysentery, as a source of vitamins and iron, and as a medicine to induce haemorrhage. When the bark is steeped to a red liquid, it is taken to clear the blood, increase appetite, and restore strength in cases of tuberculosis. A decoction of the bark is used externally to dress wounds caused by firearms.
Description
Semi-evergreen trees to 30 m tall, base buttressed. Bark slightly red, scalelike. Branches gray, expanding, smooth. Leaves pinnate, alternate; leaflets 5 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, leathery, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, abaxially light green, adaxially dark green, base oblique, apex long acuminate, margin entire or with 1 or 2 serrations. Inflorescence a panicle. Flowers small, bisexual, cream-yellow, glabrous. Fruit a capsule, brown, ovoid, Seeds apically winged.
