**2.1.** *Olea cuspidate*

24 Olive Germplasm – The Olive Cultivation, Table Olive and Olive Oil Industry in Italy

2011).

(Green, 2002) (scheme 1).

**Kingdom:** *Plantae*  **Phylum:** *Magnoliophyta* **Class:** *Rosopsida* **Order:** Lamiales

**Family**: *Oleaceae*  **Sub-family**: *Oleideae* 

 **Sub-genera**: *Paniculatae Tetrapilus Olea* 

Sections: *Ligustroides* 

 **Sub-species:** *cuspidata laperrinei maroccana cerasiformis guanchica europaea* 

 *Olea* 

**Genus**: *Olea*

**Scheme 1.** Taxonomic scheme of *Olea europaea* L.

in which the majority of nuclear and organellar genomic sequences are unknown. The *Olea* genus comprises 30 species and has spread to Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa (Bracci *et al.*,

The olive is a member of the *Oleaceae*, the family that contains the genera *Fraxinus* (ash), *Forsythia* (golden bell), *Forestiera* (*F. neomexicana*, the California "wild-olive"), *Ligustrum* (privet), and *Syringa* (lilac) as well as *Olea* (olive). Its primary genetic resources are taxonomically classified in the *Olea europaea* complex in which six subspecies are recognized

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* include the wild form, also named *sylvestris*, and the cultivated form, called *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *europaea*. The olive tree is selfincompatible. Out - crossing is mediated by the wind that transports pollen over long distances, with cytoplasmic male - sterile cultivars being pollinated efficiently by surrounding cultivars or even by sylvestris (Besnard *et al.*, 2000). It is assumed that cultivars originated from the wild Mediterranean olive and have been disseminated all around the Mediterranean countries following human displacement. It is also presumed that crosses

varieties: *sylvestris* (wild olive)  *europaea* (cultivated olive)

*Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata* is a native from South Africa, from which it spread through the Middle East, Pakistan, India to China. Subtropical dry forests of *Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata* are found in the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests ecoregion.

In the nineteenth century it was introduced to the Australian territory for economic purposes (Spennemann & Allen, 2000; Bass *et al,* 2006). Since 1960, cuspidata naturalized populations have been found in the Hawaii Archipelago (Starr *et al.*, 2003). The *Olea europaea* subsp. *cuspidata* includes much - branched evergreen trees, which vary their size between 2 to 15 m in height. The leaves have an opposite, decussate arrangement, and are entire. Their size is between 3 to 7 cm in length and 0.8 to 2.5 cm in width. The leave apex is acute with a small hook or point, and the base is attenuate to cuneate. Leaf margins are entire and recurved, the upper surface is grey-green and glossy, and the lower surface has a dense covering of silvery, golden or brown scales. Venation is obvious on the upper surface and obscure on the lower surface; the petiole is up to 10 mm long.

Fruit are borne in panicles or racemes 50 to 60 mm long. The calyx is four-lobed and is about 1 mm long. The corolla is greenish-white or cream; the tube is 1 to 2 mm long; lobes are about 3 mm long and reflexed at the anthesis. The two stamens are fused near the top of the corolla tube, with bilobed stigma.

The fruit is a drupe whose shape varies from globose to ellipsoid, it is 6 mm in diameter and 15 to 25 mm long. The drupe is fleshy, glaucous to a dull shine when ripe, and purple-black. The tree usually flowers in spring. The wood is much - prized and durable and it is used for fine furniture and turnery.

Botanical Description 27

**2.2.** *Olea laperrinei*

1965).

2001).

**2.3.** *Olea maroccana*

tectorous hairs beneath.

combination of several morphological traits is unique.

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *laperrinei* is restricted to the massifs of central - southern Sahara and eastern Sahel (Wickens, 1976; Quézel, 1978; Maley, 1980; Médail *et al.*, 2001; Green, 2002). The *Olea europaea* subsp. *laperrinei* are present at high altitudes, from 1800 to 2800 m, on volcanic or eruptive rocks, generally in cliffs and canyon banks . This taxon is adapted to very dry conditions and in Hoggar, a highland region in southern Algeria, along the Tropic of Cancer, it persists in areas reaching a mean rainfall of about 20 – 100 mm *per* year (Quézel,

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *laperrinei* trees reach a height of 1.5 - 3 m and their trunk is mainly monocaulous. Leaves have a lanceolate - linear to linear aspect, 2.8 - 4 to 5 - 7 cm long and 0.3 – 0.5 to 1 - 1.5 cm wide. They are ashy-green above and whitish - silvery beneath in colour and their apex is clearly mucronate. The median vein is flat or canaliculated and the petiole is 0.2 - 0.4 cm in length. Flowers are 4 - 6mm in diameter, white, with bracteoles present and well developed. Fruit are borne in panicles. Their shape is ovoid - globose, they are 4 - 5 mm in diameter and 5 - 8 mm long. The pulp is purplish in colour (Medail *et al.*,

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *maroccana* is located in the South - west of Morocco, in the western part of the High Atlas. Its area of distribution is mainly on the southern slope of the Ida – ou - Tanane massif and in the western Anti Atlas (Maire, 1933; Jahandiez & Maire, 1934). The existence and the taxonomic position of this tree have long remained uncertain, but the

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *maroccana* tree is arborescent or shrubby in appearance, and evergreen. The trunk is 4 - 5 m high and generally pluricaulous. Branches and ramifications are erect, internodes of terminal ramifications are elongate, reaching 20 - 60 mm. The bark is smooth, grey-brown. Leaves are lanceolate or lanceolate-acute aspect; they are 3 - 4 to 7 - 8 cm long and 0.4 – 0.6 to 1.2 - 1.3 cm wide. They are slightly contracted into an acuminate reddish-brown apex and progressively contracted into a medium petiole 0.2 - 0.7 cm long. Lateral veins are not visible or scarcely visible, the median vein is partly canaliculate on the lower side. Leaf-blades have a revolute margin; glossy dark-green and very sparsely scattered with tectorous and star-like hairs above; whitish and densely covered by flattened

Flowers are rather large, 4 – 6 mm in diameter, white - yellowish; inferior flowers are pedunculate and 2 - 4 mm long with 2 bracteoles ovoid - elongate of 1 - 2 mm, inserted either on the pedicel or beneath the calyx. The calyx is urceolate, erect, cylindrical - oval, 1 mm long. Fruit are borne in panicles or axillary and terminal racemes, elongate and flexuous; lateral ramets are 50 - 70 mm long, ramified; secondary ramets are 10 - 30 mm long; terminal ramets are reflected, and 60 - 120 mm long. Inflorescence bracts are lanceolate - obtuse, 3 - 4 mm long. The fruit is a globose - ovoid drupe; it is 5 - 7 mm in diameter and 9 -

**Figure 1.** Phenotypic aspect of *Olea europaea* subsp. *cuspidata* trees
