Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata

Indian Olive is an evergreen tree usually growing 2-10 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 15 m in height. Its oppositely arranged leaves are elongated in shape, 6-10 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, and often with hooked tips. These leaves have glossy dark green upper surfaces and greenish or yellowish-brown lower surfaces. Tts small creamy-white flowers have four petals, about 3 mm long, that are joined into a very short tube at the base. The flowers are borne in small clusters at the ends of the branches or in the leaf axils. Flowering occurs mostly during spring. The distinctive ellipsoid fruits are green when immature and turn purplish-black in color as they mature. These fruit, 1.5-3 cm long and 0.6-2 cm wide, have a single stone in the centre surrounded by oily flesh. Indian Olive is found in Western Himalaya, at altitudes of 600-2800 m, and in Africa and West Asia.