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meliaceous
Oct. 4th, 2012 07:16 ammeliaceous (mee-lee-AY-shuhs) - adj., of, pertaining to, or belonging to the Meliaceae, the mahogany family of tropical/sub-tropical trees.
Members include mahoganies (duh), Spanish cedar (not a real cedar), and chinaberry; distinguished by alternate, pinnate leaves, usually branched clusters of flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or leathery capsule. Several species have good timber. Coined in the late 1890s from Neo-Latin, from the genus name Melia, from Greek melía, ash tree -- and no, there are no ashes in this family, go fig.
---L.
Members include mahoganies (duh), Spanish cedar (not a real cedar), and chinaberry; distinguished by alternate, pinnate leaves, usually branched clusters of flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or leathery capsule. Several species have good timber. Coined in the late 1890s from Neo-Latin, from the genus name Melia, from Greek melía, ash tree -- and no, there are no ashes in this family, go fig.
---L.
