Meliaceae
Khaya

Khaya nyasica Stapf ex Baker f.

First published in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 40: 42 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Kenya to S. Tropical Africa. It is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Meliaceae, F. White and B. T. Styles. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Large evergreen tree up to 40 (60 or more) m. tall; bole of large trees markedly buttressed at the base to a height of 3–4 m., very straight and reaching a considerable height before branching, up to 4 m. or more in diam. above the buttresses; bark with a smooth surface but exfoliating in scales the size of a half-crown, mottled grey and brown.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves paripinnate; petiole and rhachis 8–36 cm. long, glabrous; leaflets up to 17 × 7 cm., usually much smaller, opposite or subopposite, 2–7 (8)-jugate, usually oblong-elliptic, sometimes lanceolate-oblong, apex cuspidate, base cuneate to obtuse, slightly asymmetric, glabrous, coriaceous, upper surface glossy; petiolules 5–15 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white, sweet-scented, in large many-flowered axillary panicles; peduncle 3–14 cm. long; pedicels 2–3 mm. long; bracts minute, 1 mm. long, squamiform, persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 1–1·5 mm. long, lobed almost to the base, lobes subcircular, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals up to 5·5 × 3 mm., elliptic, somewhat hooded, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube 4·5–5·5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 1 mm. long in male flowers; antherodes 0·5 mm. long and not producing pollen in female flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 1·5–2 mm. in diam.; style less than 1 mm. long; pistillode similar to ovary but much more slender.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 4–6 cm. in diam., dehiscing by 4–5 valves.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–2 × 1·5–3 cm., 6–12 per loculus.
[FZ]

Common Names

unknown
African mahogany

Sources

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images