Swietenia
Mahogany
Swietenia, commonly known as mahagony, is a genus of precious tropical trees valued for their durable, high-quality timber. Beyond its industrial importance, various species possess significant medicinal properties. Traditionally, extracts from their bark and seeds have been utilized in folk medicine to treat ailments like inflammation and digestive issues.
- Scientific name: Swietenia
- Family: Meliaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is classified within the order Sapindales and the family Meliaceae. Finally, it is identified under the genus Swietenia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Sapindales | WCVP |
| Family | Meliaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Swietenia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Swietenia, is referred to by various common names depending on the region and language. In Simplified Chinese, it is known as 桃花心木属 (zh-hans) and 桃花心木属 (zh-cn), while in the same form it is used in Singapore (zh-sg). In Traditional Chinese, the name is written as 桃花心木屬 (zh-hant), which is also the standard designation in Hong Kong (zh-hk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 桃花心木属 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 桃花心木屬 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 桃花心木屬 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 桃花心木属 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 桃花心木属 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 桃花心木屬 | Wikidata |
| eo | Mahagono | Wikidata |
| qu | Mara | Wikidata |
| ru | Свитения | Wikidata |
| fi | aitomahongit | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across several distinct regions. In the Western Indian Ocean, it can be found inhabiting the islands of Comoros, Mauritius, and Réunion. Additionally, its presence extends to the Seychelles within that same oceanic area. Beyond the Indian Ocean, the species is also documented in the South-Central part of China. These locations highlight the wide ecological range that the Swietenia genus occupies.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Mauritius | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Réunion | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Seychelles | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Hainan | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Assam | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Mahogany, is valued for its various medicinal properties, particularly those derived from its chemical constituents. While much of its traditional use focuses on the bark and wood, the essential oil extracted from certain parts of the plant plays a significant role in its therapeutic applications. This oil is often utilized in topical preparations due to its potential antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, contributing to the overall medicinal profile of the Swietenia species.- Total parts
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| oil | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Swietenia has 3 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antimutagenic.
- Total activities
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anticancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimutagenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |