Indian Mahogany Tree

Indian mahogany trees can grow to be 30-40 feet tall. It is a fast-growing upright tree with an outwardly rounded symmetrical crown. It has a spread of 20-30 feet. The fruit is a large greenish brown capsule that splits into five sections, each containing flat, long winged, light brown seeds. It is made of red brown indian-mahogany-treein wood. On the same plant, both male and female flowers are produced. The bark is smooth and dark brown. The leaves are pinnate and range in length from 12 to 25 cm, with four to eight leaflets.

 

The species is well-known for its dense, red wood. Initially, the Spanish and English used mahogany to build ships. Then it was used in furniture. The Spanish were the first to do this, but English workshops used it extensively in the 18th and early 19th centuries. This epoch is known as the "Age of Mahogany."

 

Other names for Indian Mahogany include Mahogany, West Indian Mahogany, Spanish mahogany, Madeira redwood, acajou, caoba, caoba de Santo, cheria mahogany, Cuban mahogany, American mahogany, True mahogany, small leaf mahogany, and Dominican mahogany.

 

India is the location. Mahogany can be found in almost every part of India. It is also found in India's Thattekkad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaziranga National Park, and Corbett National Park.

 

Medicinal applications: The bark extracts are used as an astringent for wounds. Malaria, anaemia, diarrhoea, fever, dysentery, and depurative are all treated with it. The leaves contain a number of limonoids, including seven phragmalin limonoids (swietephragmins A-G) and two other types of 2-hydroxy-3-O-tigloylswietenolide and deacetylsecomahoganin.

 

Other uses: Its wood is used to make furniture, fixtures, musical instruments, inlay, boats, caskets, and many other items. Its wood is a popular material for making drums.

 

Indian scientists discovered that the mahogany tree emits a sulphur compound that can help to reduce atmospheric warming caused by greenhouse gases. A seven-member team from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, discovered in a first-of-its-kind study that the big-leaf mahogany tree (Swietenia macrophylla King) emits significant amounts of the compound dimethyl sulphide (DMS), which aids cloud formation and cooling of the earth's surface, influencing regional air quality and climate.