Botanical Nomenclature as Applied to Mahogany

By C. D. Mell, Secretary, Philippine Mahogany Association, New York City

The origin of the term mahogany and its early application is not definitely known, but the name appears to have been in more or less common use already during the middle of the sev=enteenth century. All available published records afford abundant evidence that the name has never been employed to denominate the species of only one particular generic group of trees. A number of entirely different kinds were called mahagon, mahogonney or mahogany. The first appearance of the nam_e in prjq!, as applied to one of the species now recognized as yielding genuine mahogany, occurred in Ogilvy's "America" in 1671, but it lvas not until 17ffi, or nearly one hundred years later, when Jacquin appropriated the name mahogany in a slightly modified form as the botanical specific term of the West Indian tree which he described and named Swietenia mahagoni.

The confusion in plant names was far greater during the early Colonial days than it is norv. Captain Dampier* in his account of his voyage in the tropical American waters in 1681 states: "We reckon the pereagos and canoes which are built of cedar the best of anv." Dampier had reference to the mahogany and not to the cedar tree. F'or the g'reater part of a century prior to the time of Dampier's visit to the West Indies the term cedar had been the most familiar designation for the tree which Jacquin later described and named Swietenia mahagoni. In fact, a good many other kinds of trees with a red heartrvood r,vere also called cedar, and the tree now commerciallv knorvn as Spanish cedar is one of the kinds that is still burdened with this early misnomer.

That the name mahogany in one or more of its forms was from the earliest times a comprehensive term is known from the fact that it was applied to a good many botanically different tree species growing in those parts of tropical America where English was spoken. From the form of the word, it is clear that it is an Anglicized name derived perhaps from a corruptecl Spanish u'ord that has now lost its original significance. The aboriginal Carib-India{r name for the mahogany tree is caol>a; this name was adopted by the Spanish-speaking people throughout the tree's range of growth, ancl it is the onlv name that has stoocl the test of time and that has not been corrupted nor applied to any trees except to those of the species of Swietenia.

If it is finally decided that the Philippine and African mahogonies must no longer be classified as mahoganies of commerce. because they are not so named at sources of origin, it rvould seem logical then that the species of Swietenia should likewise be designated by the name under which they are knorvn in tropical America, which is caoba. Practically all parcels of mahogany logs imported into this country are manifested and entered through the Custom llouse as caoba and not as mahogany. If the Philippine and African mahoganies cannot be classified as mahogany, because they are not knolvn by that name at sources of origin, then, by the same token, caoba logs must not be marketed as mahogany. The trees of the Swietenia group have no more right to the name mahogany than the scores of other trees that once rvere and still are called mahogany, r,r'hich is a type name.

-'ilrefield's edition of Dampier's Voyage, London, 1906.

In this particular connection, it will be of interest to note here that according to Johann David Schoeff the vernacular name mahogany was applied to a number of botanically different trees for a good many years prior to 1783. Dr. Johann Jacob Palm*, who edited the field notes taken by Dr. Schoeff in the Bahama Islands, stated that: "The mahogany rvood which is sent to E,urope from this and the other West Indian Islands does by no means come from one and the same variety of tree. Besides the Swietenia mahagoni, several kinds of Mimosa and perhaps other related trees are marketed under this name. Thus it happens that so many different sorts of mahogany wood are found in merchants' rvarehouses and in artists' work-rooms. An uncommon sort is called here, from its color and coarse rvood-fibre, the 'Horse-flesh Mahogany'. Another kind, paler in color, is the so-called Madeira wood, but this also 1>asses in Europe for mahogany. This is more easily workable, and comes from the Cedrela odorata L."

From the above citation as well as from numerous other published accounts it may be noted that there were more than a score of different kinds of woods denominated mahogany long before it became known that several species of Swietenia occurred in Mexico and in Central and South America. One of these species growing in British Honduras rvas exploited by the English logwood cutters around Belise (i.e., little bay), already during the seventeenth century, under the name of baywood, It was so named, because the rvood was cut on land bordering rivers flowing into the bay on rvhich Belize is now situated. The tree species and the rvood rvere not recognized as having any relationship with the Swietenia species from the West Indian Islands, and much of this Belize or British l:[onduras r.vood has never been accepted as mahogany, because of its soft and spongy nature. It must be remembered, however, that this so-called baywood is obtained from a species of Swietenia.

From tl.re foregoing it may be observed that for over two centuries there has been a gradual extension in the use of the ternt mahogany as applied to botanically different woods that entered commerce. The lumber trade as well as the general public always have recognized trvo main groups of mahoganies, i.e., the genuine and the commercial. One comprises the woods obtained from the species of the genus Swietenia growing naturally only in tropical America; the other embraces several kinds of lvoods dcrived from widely different botanical sorlrces, but rvhich simulate those produced by the genus Swietenia.

Properly speaking, a wood may gain ger.reral recognition as a commercial mahogany, if it is equal in many important respects to'ivhat has been accepted as forming the type or standard for comparison, i.e., Swietenia mahagoni. If it does not possess the chief characteristics of the tvpe .ivhich is true in the case of the bayrvood above referred to, it is not accepted by the trade as a mahogany of commerce. A rvood simulating mahogany is entitled to the name, if the latter is modified by some appropriate qualifying adjective. Thus, --littt.rit of the IJoyd Library, Bullctin No. 16, Botany serics No. 2, P.34, Cincinnati. 1911.

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