Olea is a genus of about 20 species in the family Oleaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australasia. They are evergreen trees and shrubs, with small, opposite, entire leaves. The fruit is a drupe.

By far the most important species is the Olive (Olea europaea), native to the Mediterranean region. O. paniculata is a larger tree, attaining a height of 15-18 m in the forests of Queensland, and yielding a hard and tough timber. The yet harder wood of the Black Ironwood O. laurifolia, an inhabitant of Natal, is important in South Africa.

Olea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Double-striped Pug.

Selected species

• Olea brachiata
• Olea capensis (Small Ironwood)
• Olea caudatilimba
• Olea europaea (Olive)
• Olea exasperata (Dune Olive)
• Olea guangxiensis
• Olea hainanensis
• Olea laurifolia (Black Ironwood)
• Olea laxiflora
• Olea neriifolia
• Olea paniculata
• Olea parvilimba
• Olea rosea
• Olea salicifolia
• Olea tetragonoclada
• Olea tsoongii
• Olea undulata
• Olea woodiana (Forest Olive)

Oleaceae

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