Chionanthus ramiflorus

Chionanthus ramiflorus
Flowers and leaves
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Genus:	Chionanthus
Species:	C. ramiflorus
Binomial name
Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb.
Synonyms [2]
44 synonyms Linociera ramiflora(Roxb.) Wall. Mayepea ramiflora(Roxb.) F.Muell. Chionanthus effusiflorusF.Muell. Chionanthus intermedius(Wight) F.Muell. Chionanthus macrophyllus(Wall. ex G.Don) Blume Chionanthus macrophyllus var. attenuatus(Wall. ex G.Don) K.K.N.Nair & K.P.Janardh. Chionanthus palembanicusMiq. Chionanthus paniculatus(Roxb.) K.K.N.Nair & K.P.Janardh. Chionanthus paniculatus var. roxburghii(Spreng.) K.K.N.Nair & K.P.Janardh. Chionanthus pauciflorus(Wall. ex G.Don) Bennet & Raizada Chionanthus pauciflorus var. evolutior(C.B.Clarke) K.K.N.Nair & K.P.Janardh. Chionanthus pauciflorus var. palembanicus(Miq.) Bennet & Raizada Chionanthus picrophloiusF.Muell. Chionanthus ramiflorus var. grandiflorusB.M.Miao Chionanthus ramiflorus var. palembanicus(Miq.) P.Daniel Chionanthus ramiflorus var. peninsularisK.Ravik. & Lakshm. Chionanthus roxburghii(Spreng.) S.K.Srivast. & S.L.Kapoor Chionanthus roxburghii var. intermedius(Wight) S.K.Srivast. & S.L.Kapoor Chionanthus tenuiflorusWall. ex DC. Linociera cumingianaS.Vidal Linociera effusifloraF.Muell. Linociera intermediaWight Linociera intermedia var. roxburghii(Spreng.) C.B.Clarke Linociera macrophyllaWall. ex G.Don Linociera macrophylla var. attenuata(Wall. ex G.Don) C.B.Clarke Linociera oblongaWall. ex G.Don Linociera pauciflora(Wall. ex G.Don) C.B.Clarke Linociera pauciflora var. evolutiorC.B.Clarke Linociera pauciflora var. palembanica(Miq.) C.B.Clarke Linociera picrophloia(F.Muell.) F.M.Bailey Linociera ramiflora var. grandiflora(B.M.Miao) B.M.Miao Linociera ramiflora f. pubisepalaL.C.Chia Mayepea cumingiana(S.Vidal) Merr. Mayepea intermedia(Wight) Kuntze Mayepea palembanica(Miq.) Kuntze Mayepea pauciflora(Wall. ex G.Don) Kuntze Mayepea picrophloia(F.Muell.) F.Muell. Olea attenuataWall. ex G.Don Olea floribundaBenth. Olea paniculataRoxb. Olea paucifloraWall. ex G.Don Olea roxburghianaSchult. Olea roxburghiiSpreng. Phillyrea ramifloraRoxb. ex C.B.Clarke

Chionanthus ramiflorus, commonly known in Australia as northern olive or native olive, is a species of plant in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native to India, Nepal, Queensland (Australia), New Guinea, the Philippines, southern China and Taiwan. ^{[3] [4] [1]}

They grow as evergreen shrubs or trees to 3–23 m (10–75 ft) tall. The leaves are 8–20 cm (3–8 in) long and 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) broad, simple ovate to oblong-elliptic, with a 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) petiole. The flowers are white or yellow, produced in panicles 2.5–12 cm (1.0–4.7 in) long. The fruit is a blue-black drupe 1.5–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) long and 0.5–2.2 cm (0.2–0.9 in) diameter. ^{[3] [5]}

Sometimes the species is treated in the segregate genus Linociera, though this does not differ from Chionanthus in any character other than leaf persistence, not a taxonomically significant character. ^[6]

The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that "The fruit of this plant is the food of the jagged-tailed bower-bird ( Preonodura Newtoniana ). (Bailey.) This observation is interesting, and is the more valuable in that the vegetable foods of our indigenous fauna have very rarely been botanically determined." ^[7]

References

1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Linociera ramiflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1998: e.T33349A9778972. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33349A9778972.en . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
2. "Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
3. Chang et al. (2008) Flora of China. Online "Chionanthus ramiflorus" . Retrieved 26 June 2013.
4. "Chionanthus ramiflorusRoxb.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
5. F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Chionanthus ramiflorus". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 20 June 2021.
6. Chang et al. (2008) Flora of China. Online "Chionanthus" . Retrieved 26 June 2013.
7. J. H. Maiden (1889). The Useful Native Plants of Australia, (Including Tasmania). Sydney: The Technological Museum of New South Wales. p. 123. Retrieved 14 September 2025.

Cited works

• Chang, Mei-chen; Chiu, Lien-ching; Wei, Zhi; Green, Peter S. (2008) [1992]. "Oleaceae; Chionanthus ramiflorus". In Wu, Z. Y.; Raven, P. H. (eds.). Flora of China . Vol. 15 (Myrsinaceae through Loganiaceae). Beijing and St. Louis, MO: Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Retrieved 26 June 2013– via eFloras.