Chionanthus ramiflorus
| Chionanthus ramiflorus | |
|---|---|
| Flowers and leaves | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Oleaceae |
| Genus: | Chionanthus |
| Species: | C. ramiflorus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Chionanthus ramiflorus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
44 synonyms
| |
Chionanthus ramiflorus, commonly known in Australia as northern olive or native olive, is a species of plant in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native to India, Nepal, Queensland (Australia), New Guinea, the Philippines, southern China and Taiwan.[3][4][1]
They grow as evergreen shrubs or trees to 3–23 m (10–75 ft) tall. The leaves are 8–20 cm (3–8 in) long and 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) broad, simple ovate to oblong-elliptic, with a 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) petiole. The flowers are white or yellow, produced in panicles 2.5–12 cm (1.0–4.7 in) long. The fruit is a blue-black drupe 1.5–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) long and 0.5–2.2 cm (0.2–0.9 in) diameter.[3][5]
Sometimes the species is treated in the segregate genus Linociera, though this does not differ from Chionanthus in any character other than leaf persistence, not a taxonomically significant character.[6]
The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that "The fruit of this plant is the food of the jagged-tailed bower-bird (Preonodura Newtoniana). (Bailey.) This observation is interesting, and is the more valuable in that the vegetable foods of our indigenous fauna have very rarely been botanically determined."[7]
References
- ^ a b World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Linociera ramiflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1998 e.T33349A9778972. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T33349A9778972.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ "Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ a b Chang et al. (2008) Flora of China. Online "Chionanthus ramiflorus". Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ "Chionanthus ramiflorus Roxb.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- ^ F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Chionanthus ramiflorus". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ Chang et al. (2008) Flora of China. Online "Chionanthus". Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ J. H. Maiden (1889). The Useful Native Plants of Australia, (Including Tasmania). Sydney: The Technological Museum of New South Wales. p. 123. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
Cited works
- Chang, Mei-chen; Chiu, Lien-ching; Wei, Zhi; Green, Peter S. (2008) [1992]. "Oleaceae; Chionanthus ramiflorus". In Wu, Z. Y.; Raven, P. H. (eds.). Flora of China. Vol. 15 (Myrsinaceae through Loganiaceae). Beijing and St. Louis, MO: Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Retrieved 26 June 2013 – via eFloras.