leaceae,
olive tree [Credit: Nick Fraser]the olive family, belonging to the order Lamiales and named for the economically important olive tree (species Olea europaea). A number of plants in the family are of economic or aesthetic importance: the olive tree is the source of olives and olive oil; the ashes (genus Fraxinus) are noted for their hardwood timber; and many genera are famous for their horticultural merit—e.g., Syringa (lilacs), Jasminum (jasmines), Ligustrum (privets), Forsythia (golden bell), and Osmanthus (tea olive).
Most of the 24 genera and some 615 species of the family Oleaceae are woody plants native to forested regions. Most members are ... (100 of 378 words)