VITEX

Vitex L., Sp. Pl. 2: 638. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 285. 1754; Benth. & Hook. f., Gen. Pl. 2: 1154. 1876; Boiss., Fl. Or. 4: 535. 1879; Clarke in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 583. 1885; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 28; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 24.

Shrubs or trees, rarely climbers. Branches glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Leaves opposite, palmately (1-)3-5(-7)-foliate, petiolate; leaflets mostly petiolulate, unequal, entire, dentate, serrate or incised. Inflorescences terminal or axillary cymes, often in racemose or spicate panicles, usually elongated and tapering above. Flowers small, bisexual, +/- zygomorphic, hypogynous, white, blue, violet or yellowish, bracteate, bracts usually small, early deciduous. Calyx usually campanulate, truncate, with 5-fid or 5-toothed apices, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla white, blue, violet, or yellowish; tube cylindrical, short, straight or slightly curved; limb 2-lipped, oblique, with 5 unequal lobes; upper lip usually erect, 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed with middle lobe greatly elongated. Stamens 4, didynamous, often exserted, inserted on corolla tube; anthers bithecous, thecae parallel, attached only at tip, pendulous, becoming divaricate. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary usually 4-locular, one ovule per loculus attached laterally; style filiform with slightly bifid stigma. Fruit drupaceous, invested below by somewhat enlarged calyx, globose, ovoid or obovoid, normally 4-locular and 4-seeded, endocarp hard and bony, mesocarp generally fleshy. Seeds oblong or oblong-obovate, nonendoscopic.

209 species

Vitex agnus-castus

Vitex agnus-castus L., Sp. Pl. 638. 1753; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 25

Perennial shrub, ca. 2 m high; branches quadrangular. Leaves exstipulate, opposite, palmately 5-7-foliate; petiole 2.5-3.5 cm long. Leaflets unequal, 2 lower most very small, mostly petiolulate, petiolule 1-6 mm long; leaflet blades 2.5-8 cm x 6-15 mm, usually lanceolate, margin entire, apex acute, base cuneate, whitish-tomentose beneath. Inflorescence terminal, 10-20 cm long, subcylindrical; cymes forming verticillasters, sessile or subsessile, each usually 8-10 mm long, verticillasters arranged in racemes or spikes. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 2-lipped, hypogynous, sessile, lilac or deep violet, ca 4 mm across. Calyx 3 mm x 2 mm, campanulate-tubular, 5-toothed, teeth ca. 0.25 mm long, triangular, persistent. Corolla ca. 8 mm long, 2-lipped; tube 4-4.5 mm long, straight; upper lip 2-lobed and lower 3-lobed, lower middle lobe largest, 3-4 mm x ca. 3 mm, rest lobes ca. 2 mm x 1.5 mm. Stamens 4, didynamous, inserted near throat, exserted; filaments 3.2-3.5 cm long, densely villous near insertion; anthers ca. 1 mm long, thecae divaricate, dehiscence longitudinal. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary usually 4-locular, one ovule per loculus attached laterally; style ca. 8 mm long; stigmas 2 small.

Drupe globose, 2-2.5 mm in diameter, exserted half-way above the slightly enlarged and expanded, persistent calyx, glabrous, 4-celled, with usually 1 seed in each cell. (Fruits not observed)

Flowering and Fruiting: May to July
Common Names: Chaste tree, Lilac Chaste tree, Chaste berry, Abrahm’s balm, Monk’s pepper, Vitex