Melia (plant)

{{Short description|Genus of trees}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Melia azedarach fruits.JPG

| image_caption = Melia azedarach

| taxon = Melia

| authority = L.Species Plantarum 1: 384-385. 1753. {{cite web |url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40016385 |title=Name: Melia L. |quote=Type Specimen: Melia azedarach |work=Tropicos |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |location=Saint Louis, Missouri |access-date=February 8, 2010}}

| type_species = Melia azedarach

| type_species_authority = L.

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text.

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

{{Species list

|Antelaea|Gaertn.

|Azedara|Raf.

|Azedarac|Adans.

|Azedarach|Mill.

|Zederachia|Heist. ex Fabr.

}}

}}

Melia is a genus of flowering trees in the family Meliaceae.{{cite web |url=http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5151,5152 |title=Jepson Manuel treatment for MELIA |author=Elizabeth McClintock, Jepson Herbarium |work=Jepson Flora Project |publisher=Regents of the University of California |year=1993 |location=Berkeley, California |access-date=February 8, 2010}} The name is derived from μελία, the Greek name used by Theophrastus (c. 371 – c. 287 BC) for Fraxinus ornus,{{LSJ|meli/a|μελία|ref}}. which has similar leaves.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kaN-hLL-3qEC& |title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names |volume=3 M-Q |first=Umberto |last=Quattrocchi |publisher=CRC Press |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-8493-2677-6 |page=1650}}