Olax

Olax is a plant genus in the family Olacaceae. It includes 52 species native to the tropics of South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The name derives from the Latin, olax   (malodorous), and refers to the unpleasant scent of some of the Olax species. Olax is an Old World genus represented by several climbers, some species have leaves and fruits smelling of garlic such as Olax subscorpioidea and Olax gambecola, seeds of the latter are used as condiments in parts of West Africa. In India Olax nana is well known as one of the first species to emerge after forest fires, the shoots growing directly from buried roots.

Species
The type species is O. zeylanica. According to Plants of the World Online the genus contains the following 52 species:


 * 1) Olax acuminata Wall. ex Benth.
 * 2) Olax angulata A.S.George
 * 3) Olax angustifolia Compère
 * 4) Olax antsiranensis Z.S.Rogers, Malécot & Sikes
 * 5) Olax aphylla R.Br.
 * 6) Olax aschersoniana Büttner
 * 7) Olax aurantia A.S.George
 * 8) Olax austrosinensis Y.R.Ling
 * 9) Olax benthamiana Miq.
 * 10) Olax candida (Poepp.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 11) Olax capuronii Z.S.Rogers, Malécot & Sikes
 * 12) Olax crassa (Monach.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 13) Olax cyanocarpa (Sleumer) Christenh. & Byng
 * 14) Olax dissitiflora Oliv.
 * 15) Olax egleri (Bastos) Christenh. & Byng
 * 16) Olax emirnensis Baker
 * 17) Olax gambecola Baill.
 * 18) Olax gardneriana Benth.
 * 19) Olax gossweileri Exell & Mendonça
 * 20) Olax guianensis (Engl.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 21) Olax hypoleuca Baill.
 * 22) Olax imbricata Roxb.
 * 23) Olax inopiflora (Miers) Christenh. & Byng
 * 24) Olax lanceolata Cavaco & Keraudren
 * 25) Olax latifolia Engl.
 * 26) Olax macrophylla Benth.
 * 27) Olax madagascariensis (DC.) Cavaco
 * 28) Olax mannii Oliv.
 * 29) Olax mayottensis Z.S.Rogers, Malécot & Sikes
 * 30) Olax nana Wall. ex Benth.
 * 31) Olax obcordata A.S.George
 * 32) Olax obtusifolia De Wild.
 * 33) Olax papillosa (Bastos) Christenh. & Byng
 * 34) Olax pauciflora Benth.
 * 35) Olax pendula L.S.Sm.
 * 36) Olax pentandra Sleumer
 * 37) Olax phyllanthi R.Br.
 * 38) Olax psittacorum (Lam.) Vahl
 * 39) Olax redmondii (Steyerm.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 40) Olax retusa F.Muell. ex Benth.
 * 41) Olax scalariformis A.S.George
 * 42) Olax scandens Roxb.
 * 43) Olax singularis (Vell.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 44) Olax spartea A.S.George
 * 45) Olax staudtii Engl.
 * 46) Olax stricta R.Br.
 * 47) Olax subscorpioidea Oliv.
 * 48) Olax tepuiensis (Steyerm.) Christenh. & Byng
 * 49) Olax thouarsii (DC.) Valeton
 * 50) Olax triplinervia Oliv.
 * 51) Olax wildemanii Engl.
 * 52) Olax zeylanica L.