Olea welwitschii, the Elgon teak, is a species of tree in the family Oleaceae. It ranges across parts of subsaharan Africa, from Cameroon in the west to Ethiopia and Kenya in the east, and south to Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. It is a forest species, ranging from lowland tropical rainforests to evergreen montane forests.[2]

Olea welwitschii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Olea
Species:
O. welwitschii
Binomial name
Olea welwitschii
(Knobl.) Gilg & Schellenb. (1913)
Synonyms[1]
  • Linociera welwitschii (Knobl.) Knobl. (1895)
  • Mayepea welwitschii Knobl. (1893)
  • Olea capensis subsp. welwitschii (Knobl.) Friis & P.S.Green (1986)
  • Olea mussolinii Chiov. (1940)
  • Osmanthus welwitschii (Knobl.) Knobl. (1934)
  • Steganthus welwitschii (Knobl.) Knobl. (1934)

Olea welwitschii is evergreen, and can grow up to 35 meters in height. It is used locally and commercially for timber.

Olea welwitschii is sometimes classified as a subspecies of Olea capensis.

The species is named for botanist Friedrich Welwitsch.

References

edit
  1. ^ Olea welwitschii (Knobl.) Gilg & G.Schellenb. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  2. ^ Aerts, R., 2011. Olea capensis L. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J., Louppe, D. & Oteng-Amoako, A.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 20 March 2020.