The Oleaceae family is distinctive, typically consisting of trees or shrubs (rarely
lianas), usually featuring peltate secretory trichomes and opposite leaves. Their
inflorescences are typically cymes or solitary flowers (Green 2004). It consists of
25 genera and 688 species (Huang et al., 2019). Some members are a valuable
source of healthy fats like oleic acid. However, it may also contain a bitter
compound i.e. oleuropein.
