Source: http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl&state=&s=&region=all&form=tree&fc=white&card=T08 Downloaded 28/06/2016 Weed Identification Australia > All Regions (IBRA) > Plant Form - Tree > Flower Colour - White > African olive African olive Olea europaea subspecies cuspidata Pictorial glossary of plant part terms used in this guide. Alternative Name(s): Olea europaea subspecies africana, Olea africana, Olea cuspidata. Family: Oleaceae. Form: Tree Origin: Native to Africa. Flowers/Seedhead: In clusters at the end of branches. Flowers cream to greenish. Flowers mostly spring. Description: Shrub or branched tree to about 12 m high. Leaves oblong to elliptic; upper surface glossy grey-green, margins entire and recurved. Distinguishing features: Distinguished by simple leaves with silver, green or brown scaly Green fruit & leaves with a hooked tip undersurface; curved leaf tip; absence of small depressions between the main and secondary veins on the back of the leaf (domatia); fruit to 1 cm long, purple-black and succulent when ripe. Dispersal: Spread by bird-dispersed seed. Also vegetatively by cuttings and pieces. Confused With: There is confusion as to where subspecies cuspidata and subspecies europaea are naturalised in Australia. Subspecies europaea has leaves with a whitish or silvery scaly lower surface and without a small hook at the leaf tip. Olea paniculata, a native, has small depressions between the main and secondary veins on the back of the leaf. Notes: A locally common weed of roadsides, neglected land and stream banks. African Olive produces fruit that are usually smaller and less fleshy than those of plants cultivated for edible olives and olive oil. References: Noxious Weeds of Australia. W. Parsons and E. Cuthbertson, 1992, pages 522–524. Flora of NSW. G. Harden (ed), Vol. 3, 1992, page 472. Flowers are white & very small Fruit ripens black & Seedling Young trees at Campbelltown, NSW photo J.R.Hosking has one hard seed This weed has been included in the WEEDeck field guide as card T08 More information about WEEDeck is available from Sainty & Associates Pty. Ltd. .