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Diversity of Neotropical Meliaceae

Swietenia macrophylla (mahogany) seeds

The aim of this ongoing project is to document the diversity of Neotropical Meliaceae (a medium sized family of c. 150 species in the Flora Neotropica region, containing most of the premier timber trees of the Neotropics including true mahogany and its relatives). Its timbers are of great importance on the international market as a fine joinery timber, and even more so for local consumption. They are widely used throughout Latin America in construction, building and joinery.  The main focus of current work is updating the 1981 Flora Neotropica account of the family. The new account will include new keys to species, descriptions of new species, new distribution maps using GIS techniques, and a phylogenetic framework for the major genera based on DNA sequencing.

Additional work includes the production of a series of floristic accounts for local floras (e.g. Flora of the Guianas, Flora of Peru). Accounts for Flora of Nicaragua, Flora of the Venezuelan Guyana, Flora of Central French Guiana and Flora of Central Amazonia are already published, as well as a revision of the genus Cedrela, which includes a number of economically important timber trees.  The project began in 2004 and is due to run until end 2007.

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