Khaya anthotheca (Welw.) C.DC.

 
  • Family : MELIACEAE
    (Mahogany Or Neem Family)
  • Family (Hindi name) : NEEM FAMILY (नीम फैमिली)
  • Family (as per The APG System IV) : Meliaceae
  • Synonym(s) : Garretia anthoteca Welw.; Khaya wildemanii Ghesq.
  • Species Name (as per The IPNI) : Khaya anthotheca (Welw.) C.DC.
  • Common name : East African mahogony
  • Habit : Tree
  • Habitat : Cultivated
  • Key identification features : A large deciduous tree, reaching up to 60 m in height, with a straight, rounded bole extending to a considerable height before branching; Buttresses small at the base in younger trees, but become prominent and marked in mature individuals; Bark greyish-brown, fairly smooth in younger trees, but becomes flaky in larger, older ones, inner bark is dark brownish-pink with whitish streaks, exuding a gum-like sap; Twigs glabrous; Leaves spirally arranged, clustered near the ends of branches, new flushes of leaves towards the crown are light reddish sometimes, petiole and rachis upto 28-60cm long; Leaflets 4-16 pairs, sub-opposite or nearly opposite, with apical 4 pairs being opposite, elliptical to ovate-elliptical or oblong-elliptic, 15-23 cm long, 6.5-8.0 cm wide, margins entire, surface glossy above, pale below, glabrous, base obtuse or rounded, slightly asymmetrical, oblique in many leaflets, apex tapering abruptly into a short point, Petiolules 0.6-1.5 cm long, with petiolules of lower leaflets being comparatively longer; Inflorescence panicle, 25-45cm long; Flowers unisexual, both male and female flowers very similar in appearance, approximately 10mm diamenter, yellowish, tetramerous, sweet-scented, 2 bracteoles; Sepals 4, 0.2-0.4 mm long, gamosepalous, imbricate; Petals 4, 3.5-4.0 mm long, gamopetalous, valvate; Stamens 8, fused into an urn-shaped tube 3-5 mm long, epipetalous, alternating with rounded lobes, disk cushion-shaped, filament short, anthers 2-celled, oblong, dehiscent transversely; Ovary superior, globose to conical, 1-2 mm in diameter, 4-5 celled, style upto 1mm, stigma disk-shaped; Male flowers has rudimentary ovary; Female flowers has smaller, non-dehiscing anthers; Fruit woody capsule, oval-ovoid, 3-5cm in diameter, fruit dehisces into 4 valves, sometimes 5.
  • Flower, Fruit : February-August
  • Distribution :
    • Karnataka : Karnataka
    • Maharashtra : Maharashtra
    • Tamil Nadu : Villipuram district
  • Native : Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Guinea, Sudan, Uganda, Zaïre
  • Exotic/Native : Exotic
  • World Distribution : Guinea, South Sudan to NW. Angola
  • Literature :
    • Narasimhan, D. & Irwin, Sheeba. (2021). Flowering Plants of Tamil Nadu: A Compendium.
  • Read more :
  • Permalink : https://indiatrees-ces.iisc.ac.in/plants.php?name=Khaya anthotheca
  • Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Deepak Kumar (2026). India Trees and Vegetation Types. Khaya anthotheca. Downloaded on 3 October 2026.

Distribution District wise

India Distribution

World Distribution

GBIF Distribution
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