The Cayon is a cultivar of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

s grown primarily in the

Var Var or VAR may refer to: Places * Var (department), a department of France * Var (river), France * Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran * Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...

region of southern France. It is used primarily for the production of

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

. The Cayon is highly valued for its role as a pollinator of other olive varieties.

Extent and synonyms

The Cayon is particularly common in the

region, but is also grown in other parts of southern France, and in Algeria. Among the names used locally for the Cayon, are Entrecastellen, Plant d'Etranger, Nasies, Montfortaise and Race De Montfort. In Algeria it is known as Roulette de Sóumam.

Characteristics

It is a cultivar of good strength, with a spreading

growth form Plant life-form schemes constitute a way of classifying plants alternatively to the ordinary species-genus-family scientific classification. In colloquial speech, plants may be classified as trees, shrubs, herbs (forbs and graminoids), etc. The s ...

and elliptic

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

that are short and of medium width. The olives are of medium weight, ovoid shape and asymmetrical. The stone has a rounded apex and pointed base, with a smooth surface and the presence of a

mucro A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

. It is an early cultivar, and harvesting starts in early November. When fully mature, the colour of the fruit is black.

Processing

The Cayon is mainly used for extraction of oil, and gives a medium yield (18–22%). Oil extraction is a relatively easy process in this cultivar. The taste of the oil is described as "fruity and balanced, finish with the softness of almond". The Cayon can also be mixed with the

Grossane The Grossane is a cultivar of olives grown primarily in the Vallée des Baux and Bouches-du-Rhône regions of southern France. Though it can be used to produce oil, it is primarily used as a black table olive. Vulnerable to certain biological ...

for olive oil production.

Agronomy

It is considered a productive cultivar, with a tendency towards biennial bearing, i.e. that a good yield is followed by a weaker one the next year. Its rooting ability is medium-to-high. There is some disagreement over the fertility of the Cayon, though most authorities agree that it is self-sterile, and depends on the presence of other

pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the maj ...

s. The Cayon is also highly valued for its use as a pollinator of other olive tree. Among the cultivars it helps pollinate are the Olivière, and the Tanche. It does not show any particular vulnerability to the major

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

, with the exception of the ''

Bactrocera oleae The olive fruit fly (''Bactrocera oleae'') is a species of fruit fly which belongs to the subfamily Dacinae. It is a phytophagous species whose larvae feed on the fruit of olive trees, hence the common name. It is considered a serious pest in t ...

'' (Olive fruit fly). It is also relatively vulnerable to cold, but sustains drought quite well.

References

{{Olives Olive cultivars