Family: Oleaceae Genus: Olea Common name: Olivera borda, ullastre, ullastró (Benimeli, el Ràfol d’Almúnia), oliverí (Pedreguer, Beniarbeig). Uses and properties: Edible or food uses. Furniture, construction and tools. Medicinal. Perfumery. Symbolic uses. Flowering time: April to June. Life forms: Macrophanerophyte (Macrofaneròfit). Habitats: Holm oak, kermes oak and cork oak woods. Crags and cliffs. Garden plants. Non-saline wetlands (streams, ponds, torrents, canals, springs and ditches). Ullastrar and other sclerophyllous chaparral, juniper groves. Pine and chaparral woods with rosemary and thyme. Features: The wild olive tree (var. sylvestris) is the wild form of the olive tree (var. europaea). Its leaves are greyish-green on the front and almost white on the back, grouped in pairs on the stem. These leaves can be very small and rounded on the puddled shoots, or lanceolate and up to 8 cm long on the upper branches. Olive trees have larger and more elongated leaves than wild olive trees, but the fundamental difference between the two is the fruit (the olive). It flowers in late spring and early summer. Notes: The olive tree is closely associated with the Olympic Games, as the winners of the Olympic Games were crowned with wild olive branches, the equivalent of today's gold medal. Origin: Mediterranean region. Information taken from the website http://herbarivirtual.uib.es/ i de Pellicer, Joan (2000). Costumari Botànic [2]. Edicions del Bullent. |