Code
MEIAZ
Growth form
Tree
Biological cycle
Perennial
Habitat
Terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Azedara speciosa Raf. |
| synonym | Azedarach commelinii Medik. |
| synonym | Azedarach deleteria Medik. |
| synonym | Azedarach fraxinifolia Moench |
| synonym | Azedarach odoratum Noronha |
| synonym | Azedarach sempervirens (L.) Kuntze |
| synonym | Azedarach sempervirens var. glabrior (C.DC.) Kuntze |
| synonym | Melia aethiopica Welw. |
| synonym | Melia angustifolia Schumach. & Thonn. |
| synonym | Melia argentea Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. |
| synonym | Melia arguta DC. |
| synonym | Melia australasica A.Juss. |
| synonym | Melia australis Sweet |
| synonym | Melia azedarach f. umbraculifera (G.W.Knox) Rehder |
| synonym | Melia azedarach var. australasica (A.Juss.) C.DC. |
| synonym | Melia azedarach var. glabrior C.DC. |
| synonym | Melia azedarach var. umbraculifera G.W.Knox |
| synonym | Melia bogoriensis Koord. & Valeton |
| synonym | Melia bombolo Welw. |
| synonym | Melia bukayun Royle |
| synonym | Melia candollei A.Juss. |
| synonym | Melia chinensis Siebold ex Miq. |
| synonym | Melia cochinchinensis M.Roem. |
| synonym | Melia commelini Medik. ex Steud. |
| synonym | Melia flaccida Zipp. ex Span. |
| synonym | Melia floribunda Carrière |
| synonym | Melia florida Salisb. |
| synonym | Melia guineensis G.Don |
| synonym | Melia japonica G.Don |
| synonym | Melia javanica M.Roem. |
| synonym | Melia orientalis M.Roem. |
| synonym | Melia robusta Roxb. ex G.Don |
| synonym | Melia sambucina Blume |
| synonym | Melia sempervirens (L.) Sw. |
| synonym | Melia superba Roxb. |
| synonym | Melia toosendan Siebold & Zucc. |
🗒 Common Names
| English |
|
| French |
|
| Other |
|
📚 Overview
Description
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Global description
Melia azedarach is a woody tree, with an upright habit measuring up to 12 m high. The bark is brown-gray, exfoliating longitudinally. The branches are spreading and the twigs bear the scars of the insertion of the leaves. The leaves are alternate, petiolate from 20 to 60 cm long and 10 to 25 cm wide. They are compound, imparipinnate, bipinnate or tripinnate, with 5 to 7 opposite leaflets. The leaflet blade is 3 to 7 cm long and 2 to 3 cm wide, obliquely oval, elliptic or lanceolate, the terminal leaflet larger than the lateral leaflets. The base is wedge-shaped, the apex acute, and the margin crenate to irregularly toothed. The young leaves are covered with star-shaped trichomes, the older leaves are glabrous. The veins are pinnate. The inflorescence is a thyrse (grappe of cymes) from 10 to 25 cm long (approximately 1/2 of the length of the leaves) with flowers carried by a pedicel from 2 to 3 mm. The flowers are of color lilac or white and with purple staminal tube and perfumed, with 5 oval or oblong sepals of 2 to 3 mm, 5 petals of 10 to 13 mm oval with the acute top. The staminal tube, 7 to 8 mm long is purple, marked with 10 longitudinal stripes and ending at the top by 10 conical lobes, themselves bi or trilobulated. 10 anthers alternate with the lobes. The ovary is spherical with 5-8 lodges surmounted by a style of 5 mm and a globular stigma exserted. The fruit is a globose to ellipsoid drupe of 1 to 3 cm long and 0.8 to 1.5 cm in diameter, of light brown color, with endocarp becoming woody and containing 5 to 8 ellipsoid seeds.
Cotyledons
Cotyledons are long spatulate, sessile, 4 cm long and 1 cm wide, they ar fleshy, with a broad, wedge-shaped apex.
First leaves
The first leaves are alternate, petiolate, simple and deeply lobed looking like compound leaves. The first leaf is deeply 3-lobed; with 3 lobes of similar size extending from the apex of the petiole. Each lobe is oval with a full or more or less deeply lobed margin, the apex is broadly wedge-shaped. Subsequent leaves become 5-7 lobed with fully individualised lobes, becoming distant from each other along the rachis and resembling opposite leaflets. The lobes are narrowly oval with a rounded or broadly wedged base for the lower lobes and an acute wedge for the terminal lobe. The margin is more or less deeply lobed. The main lobes are marked by a prominent yellowish-green midrib. The rachis between the lobes is slightly winged. Both sides are glabrous.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
China : Melia azedarach flowers form March to May and fruits from October to December.
Mayotte: Melia azedarach flowers from August to January and fruits from November to April.
Nicaragua: Melia azedarach flowers and fruits all the year round.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Ecology
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Mayotte: Melia azedarach is an exotic species planted in gardens for ornamental purposes and in natural environments for reforestation. It tends to naturalize.
Nicaragua: Melia azedarach is a species frequently grown as an ornamental and naturalized in deciduous forests, in the Pacific and north-central areas; from 0 to 1000 m altitude.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Miscellaneous Details
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Toxicity
The fruits of Melia azedarach are toxic to humans when consumed in large quantities.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
Description
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Origin
Melia azedarach is native to India, Southeast Asia, Papua to Australia.
Worldwide distribution
This species has been introduced in all tropical and warm temperate regions.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
Local harmfulness
Mayotte: Melia azedarach is a weed that is not very frequent in Mayotte, it is present in 1% of cultivated plots. It is mainly found in food crops. It develops especially in the north of the island.
South Africa: Melia azedarach competes with and replaces native species. The abundant and prolific growth of this species to the detriment of native flora and fauna could have serious consequences for the preservation of biodiversity. Dense stands along watercourses are likely to reduce their flow. Native birds could neglect the dispersal of native plants because of their preference for the fruits of this exotic species. Efficient seed dispersal by water allows this species to invade protected areas far from the parent plant. It is found in every province of South Africa.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Uses
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Food: The fruits of Melia azedarach can be eaten but are toxic to humans when eaten in large quantities.
Medicinal: The bark and roots contain a compound used as a vermifuge.
Other: The wood is used in cabinet making and for making musical instruments. The oil that is extracted from the seed is used to make soaps, waxes and lubricants. It is also used as fuel for lighting and heating.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
References
- Huat, J., Nagy, M., Carpente, A., Schwartz, M., Le Bourgeois, T. & Marnotte, P. 2021. Guide de la flore spontanée des agrosystèmes de Mayotte. Montpellier, Cirad. 150 p.
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:578949-1
- Flora of China http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200012507
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 687 p.
- The World Flora Online http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000450150
- Invasives South Africa https://invasives.org.za/fact-sheet/syringa/
Information Listing > References
- Huat, J., Nagy, M., Carpente, A., Schwartz, M., Le Bourgeois, T. & Marnotte, P. 2021. Guide de la flore spontanée des agrosystèmes de Mayotte. Montpellier, Cirad. 150 p.
- Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:578949-1
- Flora of China http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200012507
- Barthelat, F. 2019. La Flore illustrée de Mayotte. Meze, Paris, France, Collection Inventaires et Biodiversité, Biotope – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. 687 p.
- The World Flora Online http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000450150
- Invasives South Africa https://invasives.org.za/fact-sheet/syringa/
Images
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Melia%2520azederach
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Sapindales |
| Family | Meliaceae |
| Genus | Melia |
| Species | Melia azedarach L. |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
