East African Olive
Ijzerhout / Black Ironwood
Olea capensis
syn. Olea hochstetteri
Medium-sized tree at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. March 2013.
From Wikipedia: A
bushy shrub, or a small to medium sized tree, up to 10 metres in height,
occasionally reaching 40 metres. Bark: light grey, becoming dark grey and
vertically fissured with age; a characteristic blackish gum is exuded from bark
wounds. Leaves: light to dark green and glossy above and paler green below;
petiole often purplish, 0.3-1.7 cm long; lanceolate-oblong to almost circular,
3-10 x 1.5-5 cm. Flowers: white or cream and sweetly scented, small and in many
flowered axillary or terminal heads, bisexual, 3-15 cm long. Fruit: when ripe
they are somewhat succulent purplish drupes; ovoid up to 2 x 1 cm.