cigar-box cedar, (Cedrela odorata), tropical American timber tree, of the mahogany family (Meliaceae), prized for its aromatic wood, hence its name. Its small flowers are borne in branched clusters, and each fruit is a capsule containing many winged seeds. Other species of the genus Cedrela such as toon (C. toona) and C. sinensis are cultivated as ornamentals.