Taxon:  Swietenia macrophylla King



Summary
Genus:
Swietenia
Family:
Meliaceae
Nomen number:
35955
Place of publication:
Hooker's Icon. Pl. 16: t. 1550.  1886
Verified:
10/28/1987 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
13 (6  active, 5  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Swietenia candollei Pittier

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
  5. Brandes, A. F. N. et al. 2020. Endangered species account for 10% of Brazil's documented timber trade. J. Nat. Conservation 55:125821. DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125821. Note: Swietenia macrophylla, an endangered species, is reported to be transported as part of the legal timber trade within Brazil
  6. CITES. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices I, II and III (on-line resource).
  7. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  9. Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Micronesia
  10. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  11. Gullison, R. E. et al. 2000. 'Marketing' species conservation. Nature 404:923-924.
  12. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  13. Lamb, D. & P. Lawrence. 1993. Mixed species plantation using high value rainforest trees in Australia. In: Lieth, H & M. Lohmann, eds., Restoration of tropical forest ecosystems. 102. Note: Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht.
  14. Luna, R. K. 1996. Plantation trees. International Book Distributors, Dehra Dun, India.
  15. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  16. Mors, W. T. & C. T. Rizzini. 1966. Useful plants of Brazil.
  17. Mors, W. T. & C. T. Rizzini. 1966. Useful plants of Brazil. 127.
  18. Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
  19. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  20. Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
  21. Soerianegara, I. & R. H. M. J. Lemmens, eds. 1993. Timber trees: major commercial timbers. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 5(1):447.
  22. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishHonduran mahogany  1Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Englishmahogany  1Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Portuguese (Brazil)aguano  2Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Portuguese (Brazil)araputanga  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)caóba  2Mors, W. T. & C. T. Rizzini. 1966. Useful plants of Brazil.
Portuguese (Brazil)cedro-í  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)mogno  2Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Portuguese (Brazil)mogno-brasileiro  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Spanishcaoba  2Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Spanish (Bolivia)mara  2Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Spanish (Peru)aguano  2Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Swedishhondurasmahogny  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoCampeche Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoChiapas Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoQuintana Roo Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoTabasco Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoVeracruz de Ignacio de la Llave  
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilAcren. & w.Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilPará Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaBelize  Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta RicaGuanacaste Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaGuatemalaChimaltenango Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaGuatemalaIzabal Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaGuatemalaPetén Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaHondurasColón Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaHondurasOlancho Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaraguaZelaya Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanamaDarién Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanamaPanamá Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaFrench Guiana  Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuelaAragua Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuelaBarinas Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuelaZulia Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaBoliviaLa Paz Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaBoliviaSanta Cruz Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaBolívar Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeruHuánuco Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeruLoreto Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeruSan Martín Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
2Cultivated    also cult.Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
2CultivatedPacificNorthwestern PacificMicronesiaYap Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Micronesia
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalMalesiaSingapore  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Native
Northern America
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]
Southern America
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica [Guanacaste], Guatemala [Chimaltenango, Izabal, Petén], Honduras [Colón, Olancho], Nicaragua [Zelaya], Panama [Darién, Panamá]
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Venezuela [Aragua, Barinas, Zulia]
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [Acre (n. & w.), Pará]
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia [La Paz, Santa Cruz], Colombia [Bolívar], Peru [Huánuco, Loreto, San Martín]
Cultivated

  • REGION:
Pacific
  • NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Micronesia [Yap]
Naturalized
Asia-Tropical
  • MALESIA: Singapore
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Reference(s)
  1. Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Micronesia
  2. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  3. Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalfirebreak Friday, J. B. et al. 2021. Reforestation of degraded landscapes in Micronesia. Land 10:926. DOI: 10.3390/land10090926. Note: comments on its use in Micronesia
Environmentalrevegetator Lamb, D. & P. Lawrence. 1993. Mixed species plantation using high value rainforest trees in Australia. In: Lieth, H & M. Lohmann, eds., Restoration of tropical forest ecosystems. 102. Note: Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht.
Materialsbeads Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource).
Materialswood Pennington, T. D. 1981. Meliaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 28:395-400.
Materialswood Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Materialswood Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=35955. Accessed 15 April 2026.