Olax

Taxonomic status Accepted
Occurrence status Present
Origin Native
Degree of establishment Native

Trees or shrubs, usually glabrous, often malodorous; branches somewhat flexuose. Leaves sessile, alternate, distichous, entire, yellow-green (in Victoria) or grey-green. Flowers usually solitary, bisexual (in Victoria) or unisexual, white or yellowish, shortly pedicellate; calyx cupular, entire or slightly lobed, persistent, enlarging in fruit; petals 5 or 6, valvate in bud, each with an uncinate thickening near apex, caducous; stamens 3, inserted between petals, staminodes 5, inserted opposite petals, anthers introrse; ovary partly immersed in disc, 1-celled or imperfectly 3-celled, style short, stigma 3-lobed, subcapitate. Fruit a succulent drupe formed by enlarged hypanthium; seed single.

About 60 species, mostly in Old World tropics and Australia; 11 species in Australia, all endemic.

Source:

Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Olacaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., ‍Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae‍, pp. 25–26. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Olax (hero image) Spinning