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Olive (jalpai) a commercially important oil-plant
of the family Oleaceae. The true olive, Olea europaea, is one of
the oldest known fruits, first reported from Egypt since the beginning
of the historical times. Now, it is widely cultivated in Mediterranean
regions and in many tropical and subtropical regions. The plant is mostly
cultivated as the source of olive oil. The olive that is found in Bangladesh
is a different plant, Elaeocarpus floribundus, commonly known as
Indian olive or jalpai, cultivated widely as sour fruit. It is
a much branched deciduous tree and bears oblong green one-seeded fleshy
fruits (3 ´
2 cm). The ripe fruit is edible or used as pickle. Unlike true olive no
such oil is present in Indian olive. The flowering and fruiting time is
December. Although largely a homestead plant, it also occurs wild in the
forests of Chittagong and Sylhet regions. [Mostafa Kamal Pasha] |
