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[email protected] Numbers displayed above are based on latest data collected. For more information visit www.intechopen.com Chapter 12 From the Olive Flower to the Drupe: Flower Types, Pollination, Self and Inter-Compatibility and Fruit Set Catherine Breton and André Bervillé Additional information is available at the end of the chapter http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55312 1. Introduction 1.1. Frame of the chapter Although the tree development directs the olive tree yield we focus here to describe the main phases, stages and key steps from blossoming to harvest. The olive tree produces much more flowers than all other trees, however, fruit set and final harvest are limited by several parameters. Most articles in literature deal with the physiological aspects of the transformation of the olive flower into the drupe. Little attention has been given to genetic involvements that underlay the physiology and the biochemistry. A comprehensive survey of the literature as much as we can is given with genetic commentaries based upon recent genetic progresses made in the field. The olive tree derived from the oleaster and the oleaster belongs to an intertropical (Asian, African) genus and a major difference between northern species (Fraxinus, Syringa, Ligus‐ trum) is the bare axillary buds at the basis of leaves.