Swietenia macrophylla
Common names: Big Leaf Mahogany, Big-leaf Mahogany, Bigleaf Mahogany, broad-leaved Mahogany, Brazilian Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany, Large-leaved Mahogany, genuine mahogany, Sky Fruit, Tropical American Mahogany
Swietenia macrophylla is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of two species that yields genuine mahogany timber, the other being Swietenia mahagoni. The areas where this species is native (North and South America and the Caribbean) are restricted in use due to the species being listed on the CITES endangered species list as it is threatened by habitat loss. Native mahogany from swietenia macrophylla has been commercially unavailable since the late 1990s.
Natively it is found in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela.
Since the restrictions in logging this tree in its native habitats, it has been introduced into several Asian countries in plantation environments. The mahogany timber grown in these Asian plantations is the major source of international trade in genuine mahogany today. Unlike mahogany sourced from its native locations, plantation mahogany grown in Asia is not restricted in trade. Major Asian countries which grow swietenia macrophylla are India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Philippines and some others with India and Fiji being the major world suppliers. This tree grow fairly fast.
[edit] Invasive Species
Swietenia macrophylla can become an invasive species when introduced into tropical countries where it is not native. The trees have no natural enemies in their new habitats and grow very rapidly. Seeds sprout in high numbers and tolerate more diverse light conditions than natives, giving rise to dense stands of mahogany trees where no other vegetation can grow, causing severe ecological disruption. It is an invasive species in the Philippines. In Sri Lanka it is an invasive tree in the Udawattakele Forest Reserve in Kandy where it is spreading gradually, although not as rapidly and invasively as the Peru Balsam tree, Myroxylon balsamum.
