Mahogany is a tropical hardwood used in the manufacture of furniture and musical instruments.

Mahogany in its truest sense comes from trees from the genus Swietenia, itself containing three species which are all native to the Americas. Of these, the most commonly used for timber is the South American Swietenia macrophylla, or Big Leaf Mahogany, although the other two species in this genus (S. humilis from Central America and S. mahogani from the Southern United States and Caribbean) are sometimes considered to be genetically indistinct, readily hybridising with one another and being defined mostly by geographical distribution.

Mahogany is especially well suited to musical instrument manufacturing due to its pleasing deep red finish, its pronounced low and low-mid frequencies, and its tendency to sound better with age. Of the large scale guitar manufacturers using mahogany, perhaps the most famous is Gibson, whose Les Paul and SG models have been made from mahogany since the 1950s.

Along with its use as a timber tree, mahogany also has a history of medicinal use. Its seeds (known as Sky Fruits) are reported as having antimutagenic, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory traits, and have been used to treat hypertension, diabetes, and malaria by people across its introduced range.

All three true mahoganies are threatened in their native ranges by habitat degradation caused by agriculture, and commercial overharvesting; this has led to the international trade of American-grown mahogany being heavily restricted (in theory) by CITES, and has led to large scale planting in South-East Asia. However, due to the low ages of most planted specimens, illegal harvesting of old-growth stands continues unabated.

Despite being threatened in its native range, it has proved hardy in the Philippines where it is planted for timber. It is facing calls for its control and removal from native habitats there due to its ability to spread quickly and suppress the growth of native vegetation; this is exacerbated by its allelopathic leaf litter, which along with blanketing the forest floor with shade, secretes chemicals that supress the growth of other plants, much like the leaf litter of the European Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).

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  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Imagine if they were a draft tomorrow and the age ceiling was raised to now accept people up to like 55. Most people would be drafted, let's say it's to fight for Ukraine against Russia. The fuck are people going to be fighting for, their paycheck to paycheck life back home? The culvert down the road that ends in a sewage plant? The dairy queen with the busted light in the sign back home? Or would it be the Oscars, where we can watch on tv our betters get their reward for working in a fabulously paying job? God damn america. We have no heroes like Iran said, it's Sponge Bob and Spider-Man.

    • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Silver lining...

      people up to like 55.

      If it's 55 - I can't get drafted.

      The culvert down the road that ends in a sewage plant

      That sounds like an unsung lyric from Born in the USA.

        • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
          ·
          3 years ago

          My name must have been put on some spam snail mail list. The last few months I've gotten a few "exclusive offers for people 55 and up". Thanks for reminding me of my increasing age, fuckers.

          • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            I feel that way when my body starts not behaving like it used to and it sucks, it's scary to get reminded of your own mortality. And with mom passing last year it just all adds up.

            • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
              ·
              3 years ago

              my body starts not behaving like it used to

              My digestive system is being a pain in the ass. I tell it that I'm eating more fiber and unprocessed food. And that's the truth - I am. Give me a break already!

              mom passing

              My mom died a few years ago. That was a very tough one.

                • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
                  ·
                  3 years ago

                  I should really start eating better myself.

                  I'm a big fan of my slow cooker. It's an easy way for me to eat better. Still, it's hard for me to give up my favorite foods to "cook" - for example a can of Progresso soup.

                  Yeah the loss of a parent sucks, not easy that’s for sure.

                  I wish I could give you greiving advice but the only thing that worked for me was time.

    • doctorb [none/use name]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Dude I fucking wish I'd get drafted. I'm pretty smart and sneaky. I think I could frag a few officers and sabotage a few million worth of equipment before they caught on