Olea woodiana

Olea woodiana, known commonly as the forest olive or black ironwood (Afrikaans: Bosolienhout), is an African tree species belonging to the olive family (Oleaceae).[1]

Forest olive
In the KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Olea
Species:
O. woodiana
Binomial name
Olea woodiana

The tree grows in lower altitude hill forests from Kenya, Tanzania, Eswatini, and South Africa.[2][3]

Description

Olea woodiana is a medium-sized to tall tree.[4] The axillary or terminal inflorescences carry small white flowers that are fragrant.[5]

Fruit are produced from late summer.[4] They are oval-shaped and ripen to a purple black colour, when they are consumed by birds.[4]

Subspecies

There are two recognized subspecies:[3]

  • Olea woodiana subsp. disjuncta – Kenya, Tanzania
  • Olea woodiana subsp. woodiana – Eswatini, South Africa

References
  1. "Botanische Jahrbücher fur Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie". v.17 (1893). 1893. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "Olea woodiana". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Olea woodiana
  4. "Olea woodiana". Witbos inheemse kwekery. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  5. Encyclopedia of Life treatment: ''Olea woodiana . accessed 2.2.2013
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