For humans, the most important and familiar species is by far theolive (Olea europaea), native to theMediterranean region, Africa, southwest Asia, and the Himalayas,[5][6] which is thetype species of the genus. Thenative olive (O. paniculata) is a larger tree, attaining a height of 15–18 m in the forests ofQueensland, and yielding a hard and toughtimber. The yet harder wood of theblack ironwoodO. capensis, an inhabitant ofNatal, is important in South Africa.[citation needed]
Olea capensisL. – Small Ironwood – Comoros, Madagascar; Africa from South Africa north to Ethiopia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, etc.
Olea paniculataR.Br. – Yunnan, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kashmir, Malaysia, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu
^GRIN."Species in GRIN for genusOlea".Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Archived fromthe original on September 24, 2015. RetrievedMay 20, 2011.
