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: Olax acuminata Olax angulata Olax angustifolia Olax antsiranensis Olax aphylla Olax aschersoniana Olax aurantia Olax austrosinensis Olax benthamiana Olax candida Olax capuronii Olax crassa Olax cyanocarpa Olax dissitiflora Olax egleri Olax emirnensis Olax gambecola Olax gardneriana Olax gossweileri Olax guianensis Olax hypoleuca Olax imbricata Olax inopiflora Olax lanceolata Olax latifolia Olax macrophylla Olax madagascariensis Olax mannii Olax mayottensis Olax nana Olax obcordata Olax obtusifolia Olax papillosa Olax pauciflora Olax pendula Olax pentandra Olax phyllanthi Olax psittacorum Olax redmondii Olax retusa Olax scalariformis Olax scandens Olax singularis Olax spartea Olax staudtii Olax stricta Olax subscorpioidea Olax tepuiensis Olax thouarsii Olax triplinervia Olax wildemanii Olax zeylanica