Indian mahogany

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chittagong wood
• Burmese almondwood
• Chittagong-wood
• East Indian-mahogany
• Indian redwood
• bastard-cedar
• white-cedar
• Indian Mahogany
• Bastard cedar

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Chukrasia tabularis var. malaccana
• Chukrasia tabularis var. attopeuensis
• Chukrasia velutina var. macrocarpa
• Chukrasia tabularis var. velutina
• Toona villosa
• Toona velutina
• Dysoxylum esquirolii
• Swietenia velutina
• Swietenia trilocularis
• Swietenia villosa
• Surenus velutina
• Chukrasia chickrassa
• Chukrasia nimmonii
• Chukrasia tabularis var. dongnaiensis
• Chukrasia tabularis var. macrocarpa
• Chukrasia tabularis var. microcarpa
• Chukrasia trilocularis
• Chukrasia velutina
• Chukrasia velutina var. dongnaiensis
• Swietenia chickrassa
• Chukrasia velutina var. microcarpa
• Chukrasia tabularis var. quadrivalvis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, situated within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified under the order Sapindales and the family Meliaceae. Within this taxonomic hierarchy, it is identified by the genus Chukrasia and the specific species Chukrasia tabularis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Chukrasiia tabularis, exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several key regions of Asia. In China, it can be found throughout the South-Central provinces and the Southeast regions. Its range also extends to the tropical island of Hainan and the high-altitude terrains of Tibet. Beyond China, the species is naturally distributed within the Indian Subcontinent. Specifically, it is known to grow in the lush landscapes of Assam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Chukrasiia tabularis is characterized by its specific altitudinal distribution within montane ecosystems, where it thrives across a distinct vertical gradient. This species is typically found inhabiting environments ranging from an elevation of 300 m AMSL to a maximum of 1100 m AMSL. Within this elevational range, the plant occupies specialized niches that support its growth patterns and medicinal potency, adapting to the varying climatic conditions and soil compositions found between these lower and upper limits.

Elevational range max:

1100 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

300 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Chukrasiia tabularis is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive buds are located on aerial shoots well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its growth habit. This plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage seasonally as part of its natural phenological cycle. Its biological classification further reinforces its upright development as a phanerophyte, ensuring its survival and structural integrity within its native ecosystem.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Chukrasia tabularis is characterized by a robust, woody growth form, primarily manifesting as a tree. This species reaches significant dimensions, with an average plant height of approximately 30 m and a maximum height that can extend up to 40 m. Although it exhibits characteristics of a self-supporting climber, such as a liana or vine, its structural development is predominantly that of a self-supporting tree rather than an obligatory or facultative climber. In terms of its ecological placement and habit, the plant is strictly terrestrial, lacking the characteristics of an epiphyte such as holoepiphytic, hemiepiphytic, or facultative epiphytic growth.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Plant height max:

40 m

Plant height mean:

30 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Chukrasia tabularis is characterized by specific structural and metabolic parameters that define its growth and resource acquisition strategies. A key physical attribute of its internal structure is its stem specific density (SSD), which maintains a mean value of 681 mg/cm³, reflecting the wood density and structural integrity of its vascular tissues. In terms of its metabolic relationship with soil nutrients, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic biological mechanisms required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms and must instead rely on the uptake of nitrogen through its root system from the surrounding substrate.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Stem specific density (SSD) mean:

681 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Chukrasia tabularis is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit specific morphological variations in weight. The seed mass of this species is relatively small, with a recorded mean mass of approximately 0.011216667 g. Within the observed population, there is a distinct range of seed sizes, with the minimum seed mass measured at 0.0098 g and the maximum seed mass reaching 0.01385 g. These quantitative metrics indicate a precise distribution of reproductive output essential for the dispersal and establishment of the species.

Seed mass max:

0.01385 g

Seed mass mean:

0.011216667 g

Seed mass min:

0.0098 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Chukrasia tabularis has 3 reported plant parts identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem, leaf, seed.

Stem

1. Natural product research
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. Planta medica
4. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
5. Organic letters

Leaf

1. Fitoterapia
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of natural products

Seed

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Chukrasia tabularis has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROFORM, ETHYL ACETATE, PETROLEUM ETHER, Tabulalide C, Tabulalide D.

CHLOROFORM

1. Fitoterapia

ETHYL ACETATE

1. Fitoterapia

PETROLEUM ETHER

1. Fitoterapia

Tabulalide C

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Tabulalide D

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Tabulalide F

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Tabulalide G

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Tabulalide N

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Tabularisin N

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

benzene

1. Fitoterapia

Activities

Chukrasia tabularis has 7 reported activities identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antidepressant, Antimicrobial, Anxiolytic.

Analgesic

1. Animal models and experimental medicine

Antibacterial

1. Fitoterapia

Antidepressant

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Anxiolytic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Cytotoxic

1. Animal models and experimental medicine

Sedative

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Chukrasia tabularis has 4 reported preparations identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include stem bark, stem barks, bark methanol extract, methanol extract of Chukrasia velutina bark.

Stem bark

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
3. Organic letters

Stem barks

1. Natural product research
2. Planta medica

Bark methanol extract

1. Animal models and experimental medicine

Methanol extract of chukrasia velutina bark

1. Animal models and experimental medicine