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The Texas olive (Cordia boissieri) belongs to Boraginaceae (the Borage family). It is a small or semi-tall evergreen tree that is distributed from Texas in the United States to San Luis Potosi in Mexico. It grows in grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and is 5 to 7 m tall. The trunk is easily branched, and the dark gray bark is grooved. The leaves are dark green, elliptic, large and leathery, and the underside of the leaf is covered with hairs and has yellowish white veins. Creamy white flowers with yellow throats bloom from spring to fall. The fruit is very sweet, but if eaten in excess it is said to be intoxicating. The specific epithet is named after Pierre Edmond Boissier (1784-1857), a Swiss botanist.
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