The name mahogany is applied to a number of timber trees in the mahogany family. True mahogany wood is the product of the approximately six species of trees in the genus Swietenia of the mahogany family. The original mahogany of commerce, the West Indies mahogany, S.mahagoni, is compact and hard. Its handsomely grained heartwood is generally a deep reddish brown. Used for fine furniture since about 1500, it has been replaced by the Honduras mahogany, S.macrophylla, because of over cutting. African mahogany is obtained from two genera of trees also in the mahogany family: Khaya, which produces a valuable, hard wood similar to true mahogany and Entandrophragma, which yields a less dense but cedar-scented wood.
The generally soft, stringy wood of "at least" half a dozen species of Asiatic trees maketed as Philippine mahogany, or luaun, does not make the same high quality furniture as the West Indies or African varieties.
Rain forest woods have developed defenses against insects and decay in the form of toxic resins. Use extra care not to inhale mahogany dust.
Some advocate boycotting tropical woods to prevent destruction of the rain forests. However, life is not so simple. If we exercise this option the forest looses its economic value and we inadvertently increase the incentive to slash and burn.

Jeff Cooper