Common Name: Brown Mahogany

General Information

Brown mahogany is a large, evergreen tree that has occasionally reached a height of 50 metres[]. It has a tall, straight bole that can sometimes reach up for 30 metres before there are any branches[].
The tree is often harvested for its valuable wood. It is sometimes planted to provide cool shade[].
Habitat loss and excessive exploitation of the seed-producing individuals are resulting in poor regeneration and a global population decline[]. Plantations have been unsuccessful because of infestation by Hypsipyla, and the tree is now listed as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List(2009)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern tropical Africa - Kenya to Mozambique, west to Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Occurs sparsely in small patches of remaining wet evergreen forest[]. Prefers well-drained slopes of banks of streams[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	30.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moist, lowland and mid-altitude tropical areas where it is found at elevations between 180 - 1,525 metres[].
Prefers sandy or loamy soils[].
Natural regeneration is reported to be poor[].
The tree takes 30 years to mature[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

This species is important in water catchment area protection[].
Because of the height of the tree, it is very suitable for intercropping as shade is cast over a large area and will not suppress the near crops or trees[]. It is therefore planted in pure stands or intercropped in banana, coffee and cacao plantations.[]

Other Uses

The heart-wood is grey-brown and handsome, but frequently cross-grained and difficult to work[, ]. The wood is durable and heavy[]. It has been used a great deal for outdoor work, being very durable and untouched by insects[]. The timber is used for furniture production and has been used in Kenya for bridge construction[].
The tree provides fuel wood[].

Propagation

Seed - requires no pre-treatment[].
Seeds should be stored in sealed containers in a cool place, addition of ash is recommended to reduce insect damage[].

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?