MAHOGANY. A popular name for the timber of several unrelated trees, among which are various species of eucalyptus (q.v.), natives of Australia and members of the family Myrtacer; two species of Cercocarpus, of the family Rosaceee, C. montanus being known as valley mahogany and C. ledifolius as mountain mahogany in the Rocky Mountain region where they are native and are mainly used for fuel. African mahogany (Khya senegalensis), East Indian mahogany (Soymida febrifuge), and Cedreta toona, an East Indian tree equally well known also as the toona, all belong to the family Meliaceee, but are less important timber trees than the true mahogany (Swietenia niahagoxi) of the same family. This species is a native of tropical America, occasional small specimens being found in extreme southern Florida. It was formerly abundant in the West Indies, reaching altitudes of 1,500 feet or more in Jamaica, but on account of the demand it is now scarce. Cuba and Santo Domingo
formerly supplied the choicest; Honduras the low grades; now practically all comes from Central America. The wood is generally some shade of brown, fine grained, easily polished and durable except under lateral strain. It is highly valued for furniture, musical instru ments, interior house-finishing, etc., and is one of the most popular woods of the world. Formerly it was used for ship-building but now very little. The tree, which sometimes attains heights exceeding 100 feet, and diameters of six feet, has abruptly pinnate leaves with usually four pairs of leaflets, and small white or yellow ish flowers in axillary or nearly terminal pani cles. As an ornamental tree it is planted in southern Florida and southern California in rich soil. A few other related species of this genus are occasionally found in commerce.