mahogany, any of several tropical hardwood timber trees, especially certain species in the family Meliaceae. One such is Swietenia mahagoni, from tropical America. It is a tall evergreen tree with hard wood that turns reddish brown at maturity. The leaflets of each large leaf are arranged like a feather, but there is no terminal leaflet. The small white flowers are borne in clusters, and the fruit is a five-parted woody capsule that contains squarish, winged seeds. Most commercial mahogany now comes from other genera in the family, such as the African Khaya and Entandophragma. Lauan, or Philippine, mahogany (Shorea species), of the family Dipterocarpaceae, is popular for furniture making and panelling.