Everything about Khaya totally explained
Khaya is a genus of seven species of
trees in the mahogany family
Meliaceae, native to tropical
Africa and
Madagascar. All species become big trees 30-35 m tall, rarely 45 m, with a trunk over 1 m trunk diameter, often buttressed at the base. The
leaves are pinnate, with 4-6 pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet absent; each leaflet is 10-15 cm long abruptly rounded toward the apex but often with an acuminate tip. The leaves can be either
deciduous or
evergreen depending on the species. The
flowers are produced in loose
inflorescences, each flower small, with four or five yellowish petals and ten stamens. The
fruit is a globose four or five-valved
capsule 5-8 cm diameter, containing numerous winged
seeds.
Selected species:
- Khaya anthotheca (syn. K. nyasica)
- Khaya grandifoliola
- Khaya ivorensis
- Khaya madagascariensis
- Khaya senegalensis
Uses
The
timber of
Khaya is called
African mahogany, the only timber widely accepted as
mahogany besides that of the true mahogany, of the genus
Swietenia.
Khaya senegalensis, also known as the African dry zone mahogany is also used for its non timber parts. In west Africa, Fulani herdmen prune the tree during the dry season to feed cattle. In addition, the bark of
K. senegalensis is often harvested from natural populations as well as plantations and used to treat many diseases. The seeds of
K. senegalensis have an oil content of 52.5%, consisting of 21%
palmitic acid, 10%
stearic acid, 65%
oleic acid, and 4% "unidentifiable acid"
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Some drum companies, as Premier, used Khaya wood for making their drums in the mid-70s. However, it was too expensive, so they switched to using other materials such as maple and birch. Drums made of Khaya have an identical sound as compared to drums made of maple, but 20% more bass.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Khaya'.
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