Family Name: Oleaceae Hoffmannsegg & Link
Synonym(s): Bolivariaceae Griseb.; Forestieraceae Meisn.; Fraxinaceae Vest; Jasminaceae Juss.; Lilacaceae Vent., nom. illeg.; Nyctanthaceae J. Agardh; Syringaceae Horan.
Common Name(s): olive family
*Number of genera/species: 26/790
List of genera records in GRIN-Global
Fruit a drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, samarasamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s)
, or a circumscissilecircumscissile:
(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely)
or loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, 3–100 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, usually tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, sometimes compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
or flattened in transection, stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
persistent, usually with one to four seeds drupesdrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds, berriesberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa., samarassamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s)) or with 4 to many seeds (capsulescapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary). SamarasSamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s) with a wing encircling the fruit (Abeliophyllum, Fontanesia) or apically winged (Fraxinus). Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
variously colored, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, or pruinose, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, chartaceouschartaceous:
papery, papyraceous
, or woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
capsulescapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary, samarassamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s)) or fleshy (including pulpy and spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
) with thin, fibrousfibrous:
texture -- long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface
, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, or woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
(drupesdrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds), usually glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
or with red glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
dots, smooth or areolate, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, lenticellate, or punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
(white dots).
Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical to oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, often flattened, 2–33 mm long, sometimes with large apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
wing (Comoranthus, Schrebera), medial wing (Fraxinus spp.), or narrow longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
wings (Frosythia spp., Syringa spp.). Seed coat black, brown, yellow, or red, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, smooth or veinedveined:
surface relief—lines that intersect in a vein pattern that is flush or slightly raised from the surface
, or reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
.
Embryo well developed, completely to partially filling seed cavity, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight, with spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
cotyledons.
Endosperm copious or absent, if present fleshy, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
, or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
.
| Fruit | |
| Type | drupedrupe: (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds , berryberry:an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. , samarasamara:a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s) , circumscissilecircumscissile:(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely) or loculicidalloculicidal:type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulecapsule:a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary |
| Size range | 3–100 mm long |
| Shape(s) | globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , bilobed, didymousdidymous:3D shape—paired, usually inflated and appears as two globose to ovoid halves pressed together , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate  , oblongoblong:2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , lanceolatelanceolate:2D shape—lance-shaped; much longer than wide, with widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex (compare oblanceolate)  , pear-shaped, clavateclavate:3D shape—club-shaped, with attachment at or near narrow end (compare obclavate)  , falcatefalcate:shaped like a scythe or sickle  , cylindricalcylindrical:3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped  , rhomboid, angularangular:2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles |
| Texture | capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary , samarasamara:a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s) - membranousmembranous:texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , chartaceouschartaceous: papery, papyraceous , or woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood drupe - fleshy (including pulpy and spongyspongy: soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient ) with thin, fibrousfibrous: texture -- long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface , bonybony:very hard and rather brittle, like bone , or woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood endocarpendocarp: the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers |
| Surface relief | smooth or areolate, wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , wartywarty:surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , ribbedribbed:surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , lenticellate, or punctatepunctate:surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted (white dots), usually glabrousglabrous:without hairs , sometimes pubescentpubescent: surface relief—bearing hairs or with red glandularglandular: surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored dots |
| Color(s) | black, purple, green, blue, brown, orange, yellow, red, white, sometimes mottledmottled: with colored spots, streaks, or blotches of a different color  or spotted |
| Unique features | Usually 1- to 4-seeded berriesberry: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. , drupesdrupe:(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds , or samarassamara:a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s) , sometimes circumscissilecircumscissile:(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely) or loculicidalloculicidal:type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulescapsule:a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary with numerous seeds. |
| Seed | |
| Size range | 2–33 mm long |
| Shape(s) | globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ellipsoidellipsoid:3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , oblongoblong:2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , often flattened |
| Surface relief | smooth, reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , veinedveined:surface relief—lines that intersect in a vein pattern that is flush or slightly raised from the surface , sometimes with apicalapical:at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base) wing or longitudinallongitudinal: of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension wings |
| Color(s) | black, brown, yellow, red |
| Other | |
| Embryo | well developed, completely to partially filling seed cavity, axileaxile: on or of the axis and centric, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like or linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , straight, with spatulatespatulate:2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk cotyledons |
| Nutritive tissue | endosperm copious or absent, if present fleshy, cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage , or bonybony: very hard and rather brittle, like bone |
Nearly worldwide
Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
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*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.
Authors: M. Islam, A. Gottlieb, M. Maher, J. Scher, A. Redford
Content last updated August 2024
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