モクセイ科モクセイ属の常緑小高木で、学名は Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus (syn. Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus f. aurantiacus)。英名は Fragrant olive。
The Fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus) belongs to Oleaceae (the Olive family). It is a semi-tall evergreen tree that is native to China. Guilin City (Guangxi, southern China) is named after this tree (Gui hua). Many fragrant olive are planted in road sides and parks of Guilin. From September to October, many small orange-yellow flowers bloom at the axils, and emit sweet odors. This tree is dioecism, though the fruits cannot be found in Japan because of it's masculirization. It is also said that matsutake mushrooms appear when the Fragrant olive is in bloom. Sometimes it bloom twice in a year, and the same is said of matsutake mushrooms.