GRIP

GRIP



Taxon:  Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea



Summary
Genus:
Olea
Subgenus:
Olea
Section:
Olea
Family:
Oleaceae
Tribe:
Oleeae
Nomen number:
400800
Verified:
01/29/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
0 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System. 
Other conspecific taxa
Olea europaea L. (2 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. cerasiformis G. Kunkel & Sunding (0 active accession[s])
Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) Cif. (1 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
Autonym(s)
Olea europaea L. var. europaea

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Olea europaea L. subsp. oleaster (Hoffmanns. & Link) Negodi
Olea europaea L. subsp. sativa (Weston) Arcang.
Olea europaea L. subsp. sylvestris (Mill.) Hegi
Olea europaea L. var. sativa Lehr
Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris (Mill.) Lehr
Olea oleaster Hoffmanns. & Link
Olea sativa Weston
Olea sativa Weston var. sativa
Olea sylvestris Mill.
No images


Reference(s)
  1. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
  2. Besnard, G. et al. 2007. On the origin of the invasive olives (Olea europaea L., Oleaceae). Heredity 99:608-619.
  3. 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.
  4. Besnard, G. et al. 2013. The complex history of the olive tree: from Late Quaternary diversification of Mediterranean lineages to primary domestication in the northern Levant. Proc. Roy. Soc. Biol. Sci. Ser. B 280:20122833.
  5. Boutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
  6. Breton, C. et al. 2009. The origins and domestication of the olive tree. Compt. Rend. Biol. 332:1059-1064. Note: recognizes two varieties: europaea and sylvestris, the former cultivated, the latter "oleaster" wild
  7. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  8. Diez, C. M. et al. 2015. Olive domestication and diversification in the Mediterranean basin. New Phytol. 206:436-447. Note: it recognizes wild populations as var. sylvestris, while domesticated cultivars are recognized as var. sativa
  9. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Olea europaea
  10. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
  11. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  12. Green, P. S. 2002. A revision of Olea L. Kew Bull. 57:94-95. Note: recognizes 2 varieties, 1 cultivated & 1 feral
  13. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  14. Hannachi, H. et al. 2009. Oleaster (var. sylvestris) and subsp. cuspidata are suitable genetic resources for improvement of the olive (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea). Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 56:393-403.
  15. Izquierdo Z., I. et al., eds. 2004. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  16. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
  17. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: = Olea europaea
  18. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  19. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
  20. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  21. Rehm, S. & G. Espig. 1991. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics
  22. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  23. Reichel, S. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. German common names
  24. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  25. Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
  26. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  27. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Common names
English
olive –
French
olivier –
German
Ölbaum –
Olive –
Olivenbaum –
Italian
olivo –
Portuguese
oliveira –
Spanish
aceituno –
olivo –
Transcribed Chinese
mu xi lian –
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNote
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalMadeira Islands 
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias 
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaJordan  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece incl. Crete
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, Sicily
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. Corsica
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain incl. Baleares
2Cultivated    widely cult.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaSouth Australia 
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii 
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • 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 [South Australia]
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalerosion control PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Environmentalornamental PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Food additivespreservative PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Fuelsfuelwood PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Human foodfruit Rehm, S. & G. Espig. 1991. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics
Human foodoil/fat Rehm, S. & G. Espig. 1991. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics
Materialslipidsfor cosmetics, lubricants, perfumery, soapsPROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Materialswoodfor turnery, furniture, handicraftsBoutelje, J. B. 1980. Encyclopedia of world timbers, names and technical literature
Medicinesfolkloreas Olea europaeaMcGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolkloreas Olea europaeaDuke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs Note: = Olea europaea
Weed  Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://grip.mawarid.gov.om/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=400800. Accessed 2 May 2025.