Olea paniculata

Family

Oleaceae

Botanical Name

Olea paniculata R.Br.

Brown, R. (1810) Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae: 523. Type: (J. T.) v.v., Port Jackson(?).

Synonyms

Olea thozettii Pancher & Sebert, Notice sur les Bois de la Nouvelle Caledonie: 183(1874), Type: Rockhampton (province de Queensland, Australie), par M. Thozet.

Common name

Marblewood; Olive, Australian; Olive, Native; Native Olive; Marble-wood; Ironwood; Clove Berry; Australian Olive; Pigeonberry Ash; Marvey; Maulwood; Ash, Pigeonberry

Stem

Blaze darkening on exposure. Blaze odour may resemble that of cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

Leaves

Leaf blades about 5-10 x 2-4.5 cm. Lateral veins forming loops inside the blade margin. Domatia are small foveoles often with hairs around the orifice. Pale coloured lenticels usually obvious on the twigs.

Flowers

Calyx tube + lobes about 1-1.5 mm long, lobes about 0.2-0.4 mm long. Corolla lobes about 2-3 x 1.7 mm. Pollen yellow. Ovary about 1 mm long. Stigma pale green, globular. Ovules 2 per locule, pendulous from the apex of the ovary.

Fruit

Fruits ovoid, about 10-16 x 8-12 mm. Endocarp hard, ovoid, about 10-14 x 6-8 mm and about 0.6-1.7 mm thick.

Seedlings

Cotyledons elliptic, about 16-29 x 15-18 mm. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade elliptic to obovate, apex acuminate, base cuneate, glabrous on the upper surface, domatia are small crater-like foveoles usually hairy inside; petiole and stem clothed in pale, flat scales often extending along the midrib on the undersurface of the leaf blade.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP, NEQ and southwards to coastal central New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 900 m. Grows in well developed rain forest but tends to be more common in drier, more seasonal rain forest. Also occurs in Malesia and the Pacific islands.