6-459: See text . Azadirachta is a genus of two species of trees in the mahogany family Meliaceae . Numerous species have been proposed for the genus but only two are currently recognized, Azadirachta excelsa and the economically important tree Azadirachta indica , the neem tree, from which neem oil is extracted. Both species are native to the Indomalaysian region, and A. indica
12-462: A few herbaceous plants, mangroves ) in the order Sapindales . They are characterised by alternate, usually pinnate leaves without stipules , and by syncarpous, apparently bisexual (but actually mostly cryptically unisexual) flowers borne in panicles , cymes , spikes or clusters. Most species are evergreen , but some are deciduous , either in the dry season or in winter. The family includes about 53 genera and about 600 known species, with
18-688: A pantropical distribution; one genus ( Toona ) extends north into temperate China and south into southeast Australia, another ( Synoum ) into southeast Australia, and another ( Melia ) nearly as far north. They most commonly grow as understory trees in rainforests, but are also found in mangroves and arid regions. The fossil record of the family extends back into the Late Cretaceous. Various species are used for vegetable oil, soap-making, insecticides, and highly prized wood (mahogany). Some economically important genera and species belong to this family: 58 genera are currently accepted. The family
24-438: Is a tree in a different genus of the family Meliaceae. The genus Azadirachta was established by Adrien-Henri de Jussieu in 1830. In 1753, Carl Linnaeus had described two species, Melia azedarach and Melia azadirachta . De Jussieu considered Melia azadirachta to be sufficiently different from Melia azedarach to be placed in a new genus, Azadirachta , as Azadirachta indica . For both his species, Linnaeus referred to
30-438: Is also widely cultivated and naturalized outside its native range. Medicinal properties have been attributed to the resin derived from the trees in the traditional medicine of India. One of the components of this resin has been found to be an effective insecticide ; see azadirachtin . Another component is an effective anti-fungal; see Azadirachta indica . These species should not be confused with Melia azedarach , which
36-617: The name 'azedarach', which is derived from the French 'azédarac', which in turn is from the Persian 'āzād dirakht' (ازادرخت), meaning 'free or noble tree'. As of March 2023, Plants of the World Online accepted two species: This Meliaceae -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Meliaceae Meliaceae , the mahogany family , is a flowering plant family of mostly trees and shrubs (and
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