Melia azedarach L.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61801956/61801958

Conservation

LC - least concern

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

LILAC

Morphology General Habit

A bushy ornamental shrub, sometimes arborescent, the young growing parts minutely stellate-puberulous; leaves 2-pinnate or nearly 3-pinnate, up to 40 cm long, the pinnae opposite in 2–5 pairs and a terminal one; ultimate leaflets lanceolate, 2–6 cm long, with serrate margins, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 1.5–2 mm long, puberulous; petals 7–9 mm long, pale violet or white; stamen-tube ca. 6 mm long, deep purple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupe ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 cm long, yellow, the stone deeply grooved.

Distribution

Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac. Native of tropical Asia, but now cultivated and naturalised throughout the tropics.

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

alelí, alhelí, árbol del paraíso, chirrinchao, jardín, jazmín, jazmín de caballo, jazmín de España, jazmín de luto, nido de paloma, paraíso, pestaña

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Deciduous tree up to 15 m high; bark grey-brown, smooth

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 2(–3) times pinnate; petiole and rhachis up to 40 cm long; leaflets opposite or subopposite, ± lanceolate, up to 5.5 x 2.5 cm, acuminate or subacuminate at the apex, asymmetric at the base, with rather deeply crenate or serrate margin, lower surface sparsely puberulous, glabrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a large many-flowered axillary panicle with cymose branches; flowers sweetly-scented

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 0.25 cm long, densely stellately puberulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals spathulate, up to 0.8 x 0.3 cm, pale lilac, sparsely puberulous outside with simple hairs, glabrous inside except for a few hairs towards apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube up to 0.7 cm long, dark purple, glabrous outside, hairy inside especially in the upper half; appendages ± 0.1 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary less than 0.1 cm in diam., 5(–7)-celled, style 0.45 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit up to 2 x 1.5 cm, pale yellow; stone with ± 5 longitudinal ridges and indistinct apical and basal depressions.

Distribution

Native in India to Australia, planted throughout the tropics and subtropics and often naturalised.

Vernacular

Miri miri (Somali); Persian lilac (English).

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

Morphology General Habit

Medium-sized rapidly growing short-lived deciduous tree up to 15 m. tall, sometimes flowering as a shrub; bark grey-brown, smooth.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually 2-, rarely 3-pinnate; petiole and rhachis up to 40 cm. long; leaflets up to 5·5 × 2·5 cm., opposite or subopposite, more or less lanceolate, apex acuminate or subacuminate, base asymmetric, margin rather deeply crenate or serrate, sparsely puberulous, glabrescent; petiolules up to 7 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers sweet-scented, in large many-flowered axillary cymose panicles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 2·5 mm. long, densely stellate-puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals up to 8 × 3 mm., pale lilac, spathulate, sparsely puberulous outside with simple hairs, glabrous inside except for a few hairs towards apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube up to 7 mm. long, dark purple, glabrous outside, hairy inside, especially in the upper half; appendages c. 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary less than 1 mm. in diam., 5 (7)-locular; style 4–5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupe up to 2 × 1–5 cm.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 2000 m.

Distribution

Cultivated in Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Morphology General Habit

Shrub or tree.

Meliaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

A small tree

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Abundant panicles of lilac flowers

Note

Introduced for ornament and known as Persian Lilac.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Boyacá, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Shrub, Small tree.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Paraíso

Meliaceae, Styles & F. White (Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1991

Morphology General Habit

Medium-sized rapidly growing short-lived tree up to 15 m. tall, sometimes flowering as a shrub; bark grey-brown, smooth.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves 2(–3)-pinnate; petiole and rhachis up to 40 cm. long; leaflets opposite or subopposite, ± lanceolate, up to 5.5 × 2.5 cm., apex acuminate or subacuminate, base asymmetric, margin rather deeply crenate or serrate, lower surface sparsely puberulous, glabrescent, petiolules up to 0.7 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a large many-flowered axillary cymose panicle; flowers sweetly scented.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 0.25 cm. long, densely stellate puberulous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals spathulate, up to 0.8 × 0.3 cm., pale lilac, sparsely puberulous outside with simple hairs, glabrous inside except for a few hairs towards apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube up to 0.7 cm. long, dark purple, glabrous outside, hairy inside, especially in the upper half; appendages ± 0.1 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary less than 0.1 cm. in diameter, 5(–7)- locular; style 0.45 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupe up to 2 × 1.5 cm., pale yellow; putamen with ± 5 longitudinal ridges and indistinct apical and basal depressions.

Figures

Fig. 4.

Habitat

Planted for ornament, building, shade, firewood and medicine, and locally naturalized, occurring in secondary grassland and thicket and on waste ground; 0–2150 m.

Distribution

native of the eastern tropics from India to Australiawidely planted in the tropics and subtropics K3 K4 K7 T4 T5 T6 U1 U2 U3 U4

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2000 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Arbusto, arbolito

Use

Poles are used in house building because of their durability. The stones, which can easily be pierced at the ends, are used for beads. The fruit of M. azedarach is poisonous to some animals and death of children has also been reported (Fl. Trop. E. Afr.). Planted as a shade tree or for ornament at least in N1

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Fuel

Used for fuels.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Invertebrate Food

Used as invertebrate food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.

Use Social

Social uses.