42. Meliaceae

The star of this relatively small, mostly tropical family is the mahogany tree, prized for its wood. There are several African species belonging to the Khaya genus, but probably the best known is West Indies mahogany -- Swietenia mahogoni. The wood, used mainly for making furniture and musical instruments, was a major commodity of the New World colonial era. The first documented use of it was for a cross in Santo Domingo's old cathedral in 1514. The Spanish called mahogany caoba; the French, acajou. With exploding worldwide demand, the dominant commercial species switched to Honduran mahogany -- Swietenia macrophylla -- by the mid-20th century.

Another important species is the neem tree from India -- Azadirachta indica. The oil derived from its fruit and seeds is one of the most effective natural pesticides. There are many other uses -- some medicinal, some industrial, some cosmetic. The tree has long been commercially and culturally significant in India as well as neighboring Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

I can't say I've had a lot of direct experience of any of these trees. One member of the Meliaceae family that I have encountered in the course of my work is chinaberry -- Melia azedarach. Also from Asia, this one was introduced into the U.S. around 1830 as an ornamental and has spread far and wide since then.