Common Name: Madagascar Mahogany

General Information

Khaya madagascariensis is an evergreen tree.
A valuable timber, the tree has been heavily exploited in the wild both for local use and for trade. It is also harvested for local medicinal use. It is sometimes grown in plantations and some experiments have been carried out in using the species in reforestation projects in Madagascar[, ].
Overexploited for its timber, and with its habitat also damaged by human activity, the tree has become much rarer in the wild and has been classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2009)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Africa - northern and eastern Madagascar, Comoros.

Habitat

Rainforest, along rivers, salt-water marshes and also in degraded forest up to 800 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	0.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A fairly fast-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark is used in traditional medicine to treat fevers[].
The bark is applied externally to treat wounds and haemorrhages[].

Other Uses

The reddish-brown wood is highly valued. It is used in the manufacture of fine furniture, for joinery, implements, carving etc[, ]. The trunks are used traditionally for making canoes[].

Propagation

Seed - it can remain viable for a year or more, but germination is much better from seed sown fresh, often nearly 100%[]. Sowing in lightly shaded nursery seedbeds has been shown to give better results than sowing in containers. Germination can begin in about 3 weeks[]. Seedlings are potted up into individual containers when they are about 5cm tall and are then grown on for about 12 months until they are 30cm tall and ready for planting out[]. The tree has been successfully planted as bare rooted, but use of containerized seedlings yields better results[].
Seed capsules are clipped from trees when the capsules begin to split. The capsules are sun dried until they split and then shelled by hand. The seed is further dried and then stored in sealed containers in a refrigerator, because viability is lost quickly at ambient air temperatures[].

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