Melia azedarach

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:MELIACEAE
Species:Melia azedarach L.
Common Name:China Berry; Carolina Mahogany; Pride of India
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Tree
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:MEAZ
Plant Notes:China Berry is an introduced deciduous tree in the Mahogany family (Meliaceae). It is native to southern Asia and Australia. In Alabama in can be found nearly statewide. It was at one time widely planted as a shade tree and can be found around old home sites, near barns, along fence rows, around the edges of fields, and in disturbed woodlands. It is a medium sized tree to 50 feet in height. The bark is gray (older) to reddish brown (younger), splitting into long furrows. Twigs are stout with prominent light colored lenticels. Leaves are alternate, concentrated near the tips of twigs, petiolate, and twice or three-times pinnately compound. Leaflets are oval to elliptic in outline, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the upper surface, and with serrate margins. Flowers are produced in open panicles from the axils of the leaves. Each flower has 5-6 green sepals and 5-6 purple petals. The stamen filaments are untied into a tube in the center of the flower. The flowers are fragrant. The fruit is a yellow drupe with 5-6 seed. China Berry is toxic to livestock which occasionally browse it if more desirable foods are unavailable. The fruit are toxic to humans if consumed, but are eaten with no ill-effect by many birds. China Berry is listed as a Category 2 invasive species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. China Berry has also been shown to serve as a host for the Camphor shot borer (Xylosandrus mutilatus) an introduced beetle that attacks the stems of many woody plant species.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyMELIACEAE - Mahogany family
Genus Melia
Species Melia azedarach L. - China Berry; Carolina Mahogany; Pride of India

Citation

Citation Melia azedarach Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 384–385. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: SYRIA: Cult. in Netherlands, Herb. Clifford 161(Melia 1) (lectotype: BM). Lectotypified by Mabberley, Gard. Bull. Straits Settlem. 37: 64. 1984.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Antelaea javanica Antelaea javanica Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 277, t. 58. 1788.  
Azedarach amena Azedarach amena Rafinesque, Med. Fl. 2: 199. 1830, nom. illegit.Azedarach deleteria Medikus 1787; Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Azedarach deleteria Azedarach deleteria Medikus, Malvenfam. 116. 1787.Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Azedarach sempervirens Azedarach sempervirens Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 109. 1891, nom. illegit.Azedarach deleteria Medikus 1787; Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Azedarach sempervirens var. australasica Azedarach sempervirens Kuntze, var. australasica (Jussieu) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 110. 1891.Melia australasica Jussieu 1830. 
Azedarach sempervirens var. dubia Azedarach sempervirens Kuntze, var. dubia (Cavanilles ex M. Roemer) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 110. 1891.Melia dubia Cavanilles ex M. Roemer 1846. 
Azedarach sempervirens var. glabrior Azedarach sempervirens Kuntze, var. glabrior Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 109. 1891, nom. inadmiss.Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. glabrior C. de Candolle 1878, nom. inadmiss.; Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Azedarach speciosa Azedarach speciosa Rafinesque, Fl. Ludov. 135. 1817, nom. illegit.Azedarach deleteria Medikus 1787; Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Azedarach vulgaris Azedarach vulgaris Gómez de la Maza y Jiménez, Repert. Med.-Pharm. Ci. Auxilliares 5: 296. 1894, nom. illegit.Azedarach deleteria Medikus 1787; Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Melia angustifolia Melia angustifolia Schumacher, Beskr. Guin. Pl. 214. 1827.  
Melia arguta Melia arguta de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 622. 1824.  
Melia australasica Melia australasica Jussieu, Bull. Sci. Nat. Geol. 23: 239. 1830.  
Melia australis Melia australis Sweet, Hort. Brit., ed. 2. 85. 1830.  
Melia azedarach var. acuminatissima Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. acuminatissima Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 4: 5. 1868.  
Melia azedarach var. australasica Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. australasica (Jussieu) C. de Candolle, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 1: 452. 1878.Melia australasica Jussieu 1830. 
Melia azedarach var. biglandulosa Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. biglandulosa Pierre ex Pellegrin, in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 1: 727. 1911, nom. illegit.Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. glandulosa Pierre 1897. 
Melia azedarach var. cochinchinensis Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. cochinchinensis (Pierre) Pellegrin, in Lecomte, Fl. Indo-Chine 1: 727. 1911.Melia composita Willdenow, var. cochinchinensis Pierre 1897. 
Melia azedarach var. floribunda Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. floribunda (Carrière) Morren, Belgique Hort. 30: 176. 1880.Melia floribunda Carrière 1872. 
Melia azedarach var. glabrior Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. glabrior C. de Candolle, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 1: 452. 1878, nom. inadmiss.Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Melia azedarach var. glandulosa Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. glandulosa Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinch. 5: t. 356B. 1897.  
Melia azedarach var. incisa Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. incisa Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 4: 5. 1868.  
Melia azedarach var. intermedia Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. intermedia (Makino) Makino, J. Jap. Bot. 5: 20. 1928.Melia azedarach Linnaeus, subvar. intermedia Makino 1914. 
Melia azedarach var. japonica Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. japonica (G. Don) Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 28: 34. 1914.Melia japonica G. Don 1831. 
Melia azedarach var. javanica Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. javanica Koorders & Valeton, Bijdr. Boomsort. Java 3: 12. 1896.  
Melia azedarach var. sambucina Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. sambucina (Blume) Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 4: 5. 1868.Melia sambucina Blume 1825. 
Melia azedarach var. sempervirens Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. sempervirens L., Sp. Pl. 385. 1753. SRI LANKA:
Melia azedarach var. squamulosa Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. squamulosa C. de Candolle, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 1: 452. 1878.  
Melia azedarach var. subtripinnata Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. subtripinnata Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 3: 24. 1867.  
Melia azedarach var. umbraculifera Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. umbraculifera G. Knox, Gard. Monthly & Hort. 27: 260. 1885. TEXAS
Melia azedarach var. umbraculiformis Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. umbraculiformis Berckmans & L. Bailey, in L. H. Bailey, Cycl. Amer. Hort. 1001. 1900, nom. illegit.Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. umbraculifera G. Knox 1885. 
Melia birmanica Melia birmanica Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal. 43(2): 183. 1874.  
Melia bogoriensis Melia bogoriensis Koorders & Valeton, Bijdr. Boomsort. Java 3: 18. 1896.  
Melia candollei Melia candollei Jussieu, Bull. Sci. Nat. Geol. 23: 239. 1830.  
Melia cochinchinensis Melia cochinchinensis M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 95. 1846.  
Melia commelinii Melia commelinii Medikus, Bot. Beob. 1782. 164. 1783.  
Melia composita Melia composita Willdenow, Sp. Pl. 2: 559. 1799.  
Melia composita var. cochinchinensis Melia composita Willdenow, var. cochinchinensis Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinch. 5: t. 356A. 1897.  
Melia dubia Melia dubia Cavanilles ex M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 96. 1846.  
Melia floribunda Melia floribunda Carrière, Rev. Hort. 1872: 472. 1872.  
Melia florida Melia florida Salisbury, Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton 317. 1796, nom. illegit.Melia azedarach Linnaeus 1753. 
Melia guineensis Melia guineensis G. Don, in Loudon, Hort. Brit. 168. 1830.  
Melia hasskarlii Melia hasskarlii K. Koch, Hort. Dendrol. 72. 1853.Melia japonica Hasskarl 1844, non G. Don 1831. 
Melia japonica Melia japonica G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 680. 1831. JAPAN
Melia japonica Melia japonica Hasskarl, Cat. Pl. Hort. Bogor. 219. 1844, non G. Don 1831. JAPAN
Melia japonica var. semperflorens Melia japonica G. Don, var. semperflorens Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 18: 67. 1904.  
Melia japonica var. squamulosa Melia japonica G. Don, var. squamulosa C. de Candolle, in Alph. de Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 1: 457. 1878. JAPAN
Melia javanica Melia javanica M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 96. 1846.  
Melia orientalis Melia orientalis M. Roemer, Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 1: 95. 1846.  
Melia robusta Melia robusta Roxburgh ex G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 680. 1831. INDIA
Melia sambucina Melia sambucina Blume, Bijdr. 162. 1825.  
Melia sempervirens Melia sempervirens (Linnaeus) Swartz, Prodr. 67. 1788.Melia azedarach Linnaeus, var. sempervirens Linnaeus 1753. 
Melia suberba Melia suberba Roxburgh, Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 2: 396. 1832.  
Melia toosendan Melia toosendan Siebold & Zuccarini, Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(2): 159. 1846.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1930 - 2000

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
AUA_ACC_12690 Autauga 29 Apr 1966 BURNS, EARL R.
 AUA
MELIA AZEDARACH L.
TROY000021175 Autauga 28 Apr 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3565		 TROY
Melia azedarach Linnaeus
UWAL0005163 Autauga 28 Apr 2007 Keener, Brian R.
3565		 UWAL
Melia azederach L.
TROY000048692 Autauga 17 Apr 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1597		 TROY
Melia azedarach Linnaeus
UWAL0046400 Autauga 17 Apr 2018 Parker, Matthew R.
1597		 UWAL
Melia azedarach Linnaeus
UNA00022899 Baldwin 15 Apr 1948 Lueth, Francis X.
115L		 UNA
Melia azedarach L.
UWAL0017884 Baldwin 15 Apr 1948 Lueth, Francis X.
s.n.		 UWAL
Melia azedarach L.
AUA_ACC_36075 Baldwin 15 Apr 1973 MASON, JANET
126		 AUA
MELIA AZEDARACH L.
UWAL0050788 Baldwin 15 Apr 1973 Villadsen, Martha
142		 UWAL
Melia azedarach L.
UWAL0043378 Baldwin 12 Apr 2001 Larsen, Harry S.
692		 UWAL
Melia azedrarach L.
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