*2.5.1. Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. sylvestris (wild olive)*

*Olea europaea subsp. europaea* var*. sylvestris* is a typical tree of the Mediterranean regions and it contributed to the Mediterranean forest. In fact, it is considered by many authors as a forest tree. With the olive being the most longeve plant crop species, numerous ultramillennial still living *sylvestris* trees are present over all the European Mediterranean countries (Baldoni *et al.*, 2006).

However, forest fires and extensive urbanization that characterize the Mediterranean coast have endangered the *sylvestris* variety determining a decline of this genetic resource.

*Olea europaea subsp. europaea* var*. sylvestris* has not been recorded and evaluated and thus it is not used as a genetic resource although it spread to areas without olives and it seems well adapted to hard environments such as drought, cold, salt, poor soils, etc.

Botanical Description 31

**Figure 5.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris*: higher magnification of the trunk of the plant

represented in fig. 4

**Figure 6.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris* fruits

this sub-species of the *Olea* genus produces edible fruits.

*2.5.2. Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea (cultivated olive)* 

Commercial olive fruits are products of *Olea europaea* subsp*. europaea* var. *europaea*, and only

The cultivated olive tree can reach heights ranging from just a few meters to 20 m. The wood resists decay, and when the top of the tree is killed by mechanical damage or environmental extremes, new growth arises from the root system. Whether propagated by seed or cuttings, the root system is generally is shallow, spreading to 0.9 - 1.2 m even in deep soils. The above - ground portion of the olive tree is recognizable by the dense assembly of limbs, short internodes, and compact nature of the foliage. Light does not readily penetrate to the interior of an olive tree unless the tree is well managed and pruned to open light channels toward the foliage. If unpruned, olives develop multiple branches with cascading limbs. The

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var*. sylvestris* tree is arborescent or shrubby. The plant is long-lived, despite the difficulty in determining the real age, in many cases it can exceed 1000 years old. The trunk is often twisted and cable, and it can reach a considerable size, up to 15 m in the monumental specimens (Baldoni *et al.*, 2000). The branches are numerous, they have thorns in young plants, and can have erect, intermediate or pendulous aspect. The bark is gray – ash - colored, more or less smooth in young trees, becoming rough in the adult ones. The leaves are opposite, leathery, with smooth margin. The lamina is elliptic lanceolate in shape, the adaxial surphace is green and glabrous, the abaxial one has small silver shield-shaped scales. Flowers are white, pedunculated, very numerous and grouped in axillary racemes (inflorescence). The calix normally has four leaves ovoid, while the corolla, white, is formed by four petals of 2 - 4 mm. There are two stamens per flower, the stigma is bifid and the ovary has four niches. The fruit is an ovoid-globose drupe; it is 5 - 7 mm in diameter and 10 - 15 mm in length. Pulp is initially green then black - brown at maturity. The endocarp is hard and woody with a single seed, rarely two (Camarda *et al.*, 1983).

**Figure 4.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris* trees: one of the oldest *sylvestris* genotypes located in Sardinia

**Figure 5.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris*: higher magnification of the trunk of the plant represented in fig. 4

**Figure 6.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris* fruits

1983).

in Sardinia

adapted to hard environments such as drought, cold, salt, poor soils, etc.

*Olea europaea subsp. europaea* var*. sylvestris* has not been recorded and evaluated and thus it is not used as a genetic resource although it spread to areas without olives and it seems well

The *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var*. sylvestris* tree is arborescent or shrubby. The plant is long-lived, despite the difficulty in determining the real age, in many cases it can exceed 1000 years old. The trunk is often twisted and cable, and it can reach a considerable size, up to 15 m in the monumental specimens (Baldoni *et al.*, 2000). The branches are numerous, they have thorns in young plants, and can have erect, intermediate or pendulous aspect. The bark is gray – ash - colored, more or less smooth in young trees, becoming rough in the adult ones. The leaves are opposite, leathery, with smooth margin. The lamina is elliptic lanceolate in shape, the adaxial surphace is green and glabrous, the abaxial one has small silver shield-shaped scales. Flowers are white, pedunculated, very numerous and grouped in axillary racemes (inflorescence). The calix normally has four leaves ovoid, while the corolla, white, is formed by four petals of 2 - 4 mm. There are two stamens per flower, the stigma is bifid and the ovary has four niches. The fruit is an ovoid-globose drupe; it is 5 - 7 mm in diameter and 10 - 15 mm in length. Pulp is initially green then black - brown at maturity. The endocarp is hard and woody with a single seed, rarely two (Camarda *et al.*,

**Figure 4.** *Olea europaea* subsp. *europaea* var. *sylvestris* trees: one of the oldest *sylvestris* genotypes located
