The Oleaceae or olive family is a family containing 24 genera and 600 species of woody plants including shrubs, trees and lianas. The family is particularly well rep-
resented in temperate and tropical Asia, and other members inhabit southern Europe, North and South America, Australia and Africa. It is an economically important family with one of its major members being the common olive, Olea europea, from coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region. The olive is one of the most referred to plants in all of recorded literature producing  much consumed fruit and olive oil, but in South Australia it has become a major invasive weed. Leaves of this family are usually opposite and simple, but sometimes are pinnate-compound. The typical pattern is for the flowers to have 4 united sepals and 4 united petals. Other familiar family members are forsythia and the ashes, jasmines and ligustrums.