Taxon:  Olea europaea L.



Summary
Genus:
Olea
Subgenus:
Olea
Section:
Olea
Family:
Oleaceae
Tribe:
Oleeae
Nomen number:
25555
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:8.  1753
Verified:
01/29/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
364 (156  active, 133  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Olea europaea L. subsp. cerasiformis G. Kunkel & Sunding (0 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif. (5 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea (0 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. guanchica P. Vargas et al. (0 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. laperrinei (Batt. & Trab.) Cif. (0 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. maroccana (Greuter & Burdet) P. Vargas et al. (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (5 total. Click on image for more.)
Embryo drawing

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  3. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  6. Bashir, M. A. et al. 2024. Olive (Olea europaea) reproductive biology: implications for yield, compatibility conundrum, environmental constraints. J. Exp. Bot. erae 190. DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae190.
  7. Besnard, G. et al. 2002. Olea europaea (Oleaceae) phylogeography based on chloroplast DNA polymorphism. Theor. Appl. Genet. 104:1353-1361.
  8. Besnard, G. et al. 2009. Plastid and nuclear DNA polymorphism reveals historical processes of isolation and reticulation in the olive tree complex (Olea europaea). J. Biogeogr. 34:736-752.
  9. Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
  10. Boulos, L. 1995. Flora of Egypt checklist.
  11. Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
  12. Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
  13. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. Note: with two varieties
  14. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  15. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  16. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  17. Green, P. S. 2002. A revision of Olea L. Kew Bull. 57:93-99.
  18. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  19. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  20. Hackett, C. & J. Carolane. 1982. Edible Horticultural Crops Academic Press.
  21. Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
  22. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  23. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  24. Kunkel, G. 1984. Plants for human consumption
  25. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  26. Médail, F. et al. 2001. Systematics, ecology and phylogeographic significance of Olea europaea L. ssp. maroccana (Greuter & Burdet) P. Vargas et al., a relictual olive tree in south-west Morocco. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 137:249-266.
  27. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  28. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
  29. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  30. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  31. Terral, J.-F. et al. 2004. Historical biogeography of olive domestication (Olea europaea L.) as revealed by geometrical morphometry applied to biological and archaeological material. J. Biogeogr. 31:63-77.
  32. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  33. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englisholive  1McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Englisholiveleaf  1Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Englishsmall-fruit olive  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Frencholivier  2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Portugueseoliveira  2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Portuguese (Brazil)azeitona  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Swahilimzaituni  2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Swahilimzeituni  2PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Swedisholivträd  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya   
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania   
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda   
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands  
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan   
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZambia  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia   
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa   
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar   
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMauritius  Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanReunion  Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaSaudi Arabia   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaYemen   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaJordan   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. Note: with two varieties
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. CreteGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. BalearesTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2Cultivated    widely cult. 
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand   
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States w. 
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii  
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Saudi Arabia, Yemen
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Turkey
Europe
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Cultivated (widely cult.)
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Northern America
  • REGION: United States (w.)
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Bosser, J. M. et al., eds. 1976-. Flores des Mascareignes.
  3. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. Note: with two varieties
  4. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  5. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  6. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  7. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  8. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=25555. Accessed 15 April 2026.