Meliaceae
A rather large order of trees and shrubs, very rarely sub-herbaceous. They are found principally in the tropical parts of Asia and America. Flowers dioecious, or rarely polygamo-dioecious, regular, terminal or axillary, panicled; calyx generally small, four or five-fid; aestivation usually imbricate; petals hypogynous, four or five, rarely three to seven, sometimes free and contorted or imbricate, sometimes connate, or adnate to the staminal tube, and valvate. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, very rarely dotted, pinnate, or rarely simple, entire. The wood of many species of Meliaceae is often called Cedar, and is esteemed, not only on account of its aromatic fragrance, but for its density and fine colour. To this order belongs Swietenia Mahagoni, which yields the Mahogany of commerce. There are about thirty-seven genera and 270 species. Examples are: Aglaia, Melia, and Swietenia.