Olea paniculata

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Olea paniculata
Olea paniculata Sea Acres National Park.jpg
Tree at Sea Acres National Park, Australia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Olea
Species:
O. paniculata
Binomial name
Olea paniculata
Synonyms [2]
Native olive, foliage & fruit Olea paniculata fruit.jpg
Native olive, foliage & fruit

Olea paniculata, commonly known as the native olive, is a plant of the genus Olea and a relative of the olive. It grows natively in Pakistan and southwestern China (Yunnan) through tropical Asia to Australia (Queensland and New South Wales) and the Pacific islands of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Lord Howe Island. [2]

Contents

Description

It grows as a bushy tree to 30 m (98 ft), often with a sparse canopy. The trunk has smooth grey-brown bark and reaches a maximum diameter of 90 cm (35 in) with some buttressing. [3] The shiny green ovate to elliptical leaves measure 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in length, and 1.5–6 cm (0.59–2.36 in) in width, and have a pointed (acuminate) end. The blue-black fruit are oval and measure 0.8–1.2 (0.3–0.5 in) cm long. [4] They are ripe from May to September. [3]

It resembles the introduced and weedy African olive Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, but the latter lacks O. paniculata's small depressions between the main and secondary veins on the back of the leaf. The introduced species is found in disturbed areas such as roadsides and waterways. [5]

Taxonomy

One of many species first described by Robert Brown in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae , it still bears its original binomial name. Other common names include Australian olive, pigeonberry ash, maulwood, and clove berry. [6] In Chinese, it is called 腺叶木犀榄 (pinyin :xiànyè mùxī lǎn). [7] The specific name is derived from the Latin panicula "tuft", from the arrangement of flowers. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Olea paniculata is found from North East Queensland to the vicinity of the Hunter Region in New South Wales. [4] In Australia it is found near watercourses in dry rainforests. [3] Outside Australia it is found in Yunnan province in southwestern China, where it occurs in sheltered wetter valleys 1,200–2,400 m (3,900–7,900 ft) in altitude, as well as India, Indonesia, Kashmir, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. [7] On Lord Howe Island it is widespread below around 500 m (1,600 ft) elevation. It is also found on New Caledonia and Vanuatu. [8]

Ecology

The fruit are consumed by the Australian king parrot, brown cuckoo-dove, topknot pigeon, rose-crowned fruit-dove, wompoo fruit-dove, white-headed pigeon, green catbird and regent bowerbird in Australia. [3]

Uses

It is a fast pioneer species on sunny protected sites, but needs well drained soil for good growth. Bird attracting black fruit. Butterfly host plant. The fruit was traditionally eaten by Aboriginal Australians [9]

Related Research Articles

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora. It described over 2040 species, over half of which were published for the first time.

<i>Pimelea spicata</i> Species of flowering plant

Pimelea spicata, commonly known as the spiked rice flower, is a flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a slender plant with white flowers and elliptic leaves.

<i>Scaevola aemula</i> Species of plant

Scaevola aemula, commonly known as the fairy fan-flower or common fan-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has mostly egg-shaped leaves and blue, mauve or white fan-shaped flowers. It grows in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

<i>Ehretia acuminata</i> Species of tree

Ehretia acuminata is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Africa, when these continents were still joined.

<i>Dampiera stricta</i> Species of flowering plant

Dampiera stricta commonly known as blue dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It is a small sub-shrub with variable leaves and mostly blue, mauve or purple flowers.

<i>Parsonsia straminea</i> Species of vine

Parsonsia straminea, commonly known as common silkpod or monkey rope, is a woody vine of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It occurs in the states of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.

<i>Cryptocarya glaucescens</i> Species of tree

Cryptocarya glaucescens, commonly known as jackwood, is a rainforest tree of the laurel family growing in eastern Australia.

<i>Cryptocarya obovata</i> Species of tree

Cryptocarya obovata is a species of laurel growing on basaltic and fertile alluvial soils in eastern Australian rainforests. It is found from Wyong in New South Wales to Gympie in the state of Queensland. Extinct in the Illawarra region, allegedly seen in the Illawarra in 1818 by Allan Cunningham. The species was included in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, 402 (1810)

<i>Pseuderanthemum variabile</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Acanthaceae

Pseuderanthemum variabile, commonly known as pastel flower or love flower in its native range, or night and afternoon in the USA, is a small perennial herb in the family Acanthaceae which is native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. It can be an unwelcome nuisance in orchid nurseries in Australia.

<i>Solanum pungetium</i> Species of flowering plant

Solanum pungetium, known as the eastern nightshade is a small, low spreading plant native to the east coast of Australia.

<i>Myoporum acuminatum</i> Species of tree

Myoporum acuminatum, commonly known as waterbush, pointed boobialla or mangrove boobialla, is a flowering plant in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It grows in rainforest or wet eucalyptus forest near the coast and in the Coastal Ranges, and is occasionally associated with mangroves. Occasionally it is found in the drier rainforests. It grows naturally as far south as Mimosa Rocks National Park in far south eastern New South Wales, and north to Fraser Island in Southern Queensland.

<i>Gahnia melanocarpa</i> Species of grass-like plant

Gahnia melanocarpa, known as the black fruit saw-sedge, is a tussock forming perennial plant in eastern Australia. Often found in the wetter forests or in rainforest margins, it is common on the coast but also seen in the tablelands.

<i>Pellaea paradoxa</i> Species of fern

Pellaea paradoxa is a small hardy fern found north of Sydney in eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. Often growing in or near rainforests in rocky crevices. But it may occasionally be seen in drier areas. Fronds are usually curved, 4 to 9 cm long, and 1 to 4 cm wide. Leathery to touch and a dull green. Juvenile fronds may be heart shaped. The stalks are around 1 to 5 mm long. Sori appear in a band, usually 2 to 3 mm wide, at the edge of the underside of the fronds.

<i>Marsdenia rostrata</i> Species of plant

Marsdenia rostrata, the Milk Vine is a common climbing plant found in eastern, Australia. This member of the Dogbane family features white milky sap, when leaves are broken from the stem. It is found in a variety of habitats in relatively high rainfall areas, including rainforest and wet eucalyptus forest. Widespread in distribution in coastal regions, though it also appears inland in places such as the Liverpool Range. It may grow to ten metres tall, with a woody stem up to 4 cm wide. Leaves range from 4 to 13 cm long and 2 to 7 cm wide. The fruit is somewhat pear shaped, 5 cm by 2.5 cm.

<i>Myoporum montanum</i> Species of plant

Myoporum montanum, commonly known as waterbush or boobialla, is a shrub native to Australia, New Guinea and Timor. The species is extremely variable in size growth habit and leaf form, with three primary forms recognised. Its occurrence in many places is restricted to coastal regions, watercourses and other locales with more reliable water supplies. It was this association with water that gave rise to the name water bush.

Epiblema grandiflorum, commonly known as babe-in-a-cradle, is the only species in the flowering plant genus Epiblema in the orchid family, Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a colony-forming orchid which grows in peaty swamps near the coast. Its flowers are purple with ribbon-like strands attached to its labellum and a broad, petal-like column.

<i>Veronica calycina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica calycina, commonly known as hairy speedwell or cup speedwell, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a trailing perennial with dark green leaves, purple-blue flowers and is endemic to Australia.

<i>Persicaria decipiens</i> Species of plant

Persicaria decipiens, commonly known as slender knotweed, is a species of flowering plant native to Australia and Asia.

Goodenia filiformis, commonly known as thread-leaved goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of south-western Western Australia. It is an erect to ascending herb with cylindrical to narrow linear leaves at the base of the plant and racemes of yellow flowers.

<i>Scaevola striata</i> Species of plant

Scaevola striata, commonly known as royal robe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has blue fan-shaped flowers, and is endemic to Western Australia.

References

  1.  Olea paniculata was first described and published in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae 523. 1810. "Name - Olea paniculata R.Br". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden . Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Olea paniculata". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Floyd, Alex G. (2009). Rainforest Trees of Mainland Southeastern Australia. Lismore, NSW: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 278. ISBN   978-0-9589436-7-3.
  4. 1 2 Hardin DW. "Olea paniculata L". PlantNET – NSW Flora Online. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  5. "Weeds Australia - Weed Identification - African olive". Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  6. "Olea paniculata R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  7. 1 2 "Olea paniculata R. Brown, Prodr. 523. 1810". Flora of China – eFloras Online. 2008. Retrieved 2010-06-02.
  8. "Database Error".
  9. Cribb, A.B. & Cribb, J.W. (1975) Wild Food in Australia. Sydney: Collins.