Madeira mahogany (Persea indica)
Original title: Vinhático (Persea indica)
The vinhático (Persea indica) is a tall tree of the laurel family native to Madeira's forests and stream banks, valued for its reddish, mahogany-like timber used in furniture and for its bark used in tanning.
A tree of the laurel family (Lauraceae), 10 to 25 metres tall, with oblong or oblong-lanceolate leaves that are light green or reddish, and small flowers gathered in axillary panicles. It grows in the forests and along the banks of streams, but on the south coast it does not thrive below 150 metres. It yields timber of a beautiful reddish colour, bearing a notable resemblance to that of mahogany (Swietenia), and much used for furniture and various other work. The bark of the Madeira mahogany (vinhático, Persea indica) is used for tanning. See Lauraceae.