A Well known genius of large to very large trees of tropical America and the West Indies, which produces the true mahogany of commerce. Although the mahogany tree was discovered by the Spanish explorers in the West Indies in the sixteen century, it was not botanically known as Swietenia Mahogany till 1760, when Jacquin named it in honour of Baron Von Swieten, a celebrated physician and botanist of Leyden. 

A second species, S. humilis was described by Zuccarini from Mexico in about 1836. Another new spices under the name S.Macrophylla was described in 1886 by sir George King based on specimens grown in the Indian Botanical Garden, Calcutta, from seeds obtained from Central and south America. These are S.Cirrhata Blake from the  west coast of Mexico S. Candollei Pittier from Venezuela; S. tessmanni Harnes and S. Krukovii Gelason, both from the upper basin of the Amazon. 

But some botanists are of the opinion that the genus consists of only three species, namely S.mahagoni, S Macropylla and S Himilis, while the rest of the species are regarded as forms of S. macrophylla.

On account of its valuable timber, Mahogany has been widely planted out side its natural habitat, it has been tried in India, East Pakistan, Burma, Ceylon, Indonesia  Philippines, and elsewhere with varying success. out of the two species tried e.g., S. Mahagoni and S.macrophylla, the latter has given comparatively more satisfactory results. In India, S mahagoni and S.macrophylla, the latter has given the Indian Botanical Garden, Calcutta, in 1795, and S.macrophylla in 1872. The latter species has been found to grow better and is said to be more suitable for Indian Conditions. S. Mahogany has not been much of a success in forest plantation, and is mostly restricted to gardens. 

However, According to Laurie " S.macrophylla has thrived best in areas of fairly high rainfall of 80 inches to 150 inches and S.mahagony in areas of lower rainfall 40 inches to 60inches." He further states that "the large majority of mahogany trees in the plantation made hitherto have badly forked boles, and the length of saleable log of export quality is frequently very short". The reason for the formation of such forked boles in both the species has been attributed mainly to the attack of a shoo-borer, Hypsiplyla robusta of the three valid species of mahogany, S.humilis is not of commercial importance as the very limited. 

At present the main source of mahogany is from S. macrophylla obtained from continental North and South America, this is variously known in the trade as Honduras mahogany, tropical American mahogany. Mexican mahogany as well as Brazilian, Columbian, Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Panama and Peruvian mahogany, according to the country of orgin. S Mahogany, the original mahogany original mahogany of commerce is rather scarce today. This is commercially famous as Spanish or Cuban mahogany, West Indian mahogany, san Domingo, Porto Rico or Jamaica mahogany. At present the timber is mainly available from Cuba and San Domingo.

Though mahogany is a characteristic wood, there is considerable variation in color, texture, Grain, figure weight and hardness. The Colour of the heartwood ranges from very pale pinks to reddish-brown, darkening to deep, rich, brown-red on exposure, with a satiny or golden luster. the wood id light to hevvy(spl.gr.0.35-085), Medium-fine textured and straight to inter locked-grained. On the quarter-sawn surface, the logs with interlocked-grained. On the figure. S.mahagony than in S.macrophylla which has a tendency towards straighter grain. 

However, S.macrophylla Which shows considerable variation in physical properties which may be attributed to its wide distribution and different habitat.