Olea capensis
Encyclopedia
Olea capensis, the Black Ironwood tree, is an Africa
n tree species belonging to the olive
family (Oleaceae
). Olea capensis is widespread in Africa. It is found almost throughout Africa south of the Sahara
desert from the east in Somalia
, Ethiopia
and Sudan
, south to the tip of South Africa
, and west to Cameroon
. Sierra Leone
, and the Islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It occurs in bush, littoral scrub and evergreen forest.
Olea capensis is known by a variety of common names including:
Olea capensis has masses of sweetly-scented bisexual flowers, that produce large edible fruits.
Lumber
The wood of the tree is very hard, fine grained, and heavy, and although difficult to work, it is widely used for art and artifacts.
Gardens
Olea capensis is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and garden
s.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n tree species belonging to the olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
family (Oleaceae
Oleaceae
Oleaceae are a family containing 24 extant genera and around 600 species of mesophytic shrubs, trees and occasionally vines. As shrubs, members of this family may be twine climbers, or scramblers.-Leaves:...
). Olea capensis is widespread in Africa. It is found almost throughout Africa south of the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert from the east in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, south to the tip of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and west to Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, and the Islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It occurs in bush, littoral scrub and evergreen forest.
Olea capensis is known by a variety of common names including:
- Afrikaans: ysterhout
- English: black ironwood, East African olive, Elgon olive, ironwood, ironwood olive
- Swahili: loliondo, mushargi
- Trade names: loliondo, mutharage, mutharagi, olive
Description
Olea capensis is a bushy shrub, or a small to medium sized tree, up to 10 metres (32.8 ft) in height, occasionally reaching 40 metres (131.2 ft).- Bark: light grey, becoming dark grey and vertically fissured with age; a characteristic blackish gum is exuded from bark wounds.
- Leaves: light to dark green and glossy above and paler green below; petiole often purplish, 0.3-1.7 cm long; lanceolate-oblong to almost circular, 3-10 x 1.5-5 cm.
- Flowers: white or cream and sweetly scented, small and in many flowered axillary or terminal heads, 3-15 cm long.
- Fruit: when ripe they are somewhat succulent purplish drupes; ovoid up to 2 x 1 cm.
Subspecies
The species has been divided into 3 subspecies:- Olea capensis ssp. macrocarpa: flowers in lax heads, fruits oblong to elliptic.
- Olea capensis ssp. capensis: flowers in dense heads, leaves very variable, apex often rounded, and fruits almost spherical to oblong elliptic.
- Olea capensis ssp. enervis: leaves usually broadly elliptic, apex tapering.
Uses
FoodOlea capensis has masses of sweetly-scented bisexual flowers, that produce large edible fruits.
Lumber
The wood of the tree is very hard, fine grained, and heavy, and although difficult to work, it is widely used for art and artifacts.
Gardens
Olea capensis is cultivated as an ornamental tree in parks and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s.