'''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.
For humans, the most important species is by far 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 chryssophylla'', a wild olive of Asia and Africa
★ ''
Olea europaea'' (Olive)
★ ''
Olea exasperata'' (Dune Olive)
★ ''
Olea guangxiensis''
★ ''
Olea hainanensis''
★ ''
Olea laurifolia'' (Black Ironwood)
★ ''
Olea laxiflora''
★ ''
Olea neriifolia''
★ ''
Olea oleaster'', a wild olive whose cultivar "Olivastro" is used as rootstock for ''O. europaea''; formerly classified as the subspecies ''O. europaea oleaster''
★ ''
Olea paniculata''
★ ''
Olea parvilimba''
★ ''
Olea rosea''
★ ''
Olea salicifolia''
★ ''
Olea sylvestris'', a small-fruited wild olive of the Mediterranean region, sometimes used as rootstock for ''O. europaea''.
★ ''
Olea tetragonoclada''
★ ''
Olea tsoongii''
★ ''
Olea undulata''
★ ''
Olea woodiana'' (Forest Olive)