Vitex

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Viticoideae
Genus: Vitex
Species (223 accepted):
V. acuminata – V. acunae – V. agelaeifolia – V. agnus-castus – V. ajugiflora – V. altissima – V. amaniensis – V. angolensis – V. aurea – V. axillariflora – V. befotakensis – V. benuensis – V. beraviensis – V. betsiliensis – V. bogalensis – V. bojeri – V. bracteata – V. brevilabiata – V. brevipetiolata – V. buchananii – V. buchneri – V. burmensis – V. caespitosa – V. calothyrsa – V. canescens – V. capitata – V. carbunculorum – V. cauliflora – V. cestroides – V. chariensis – V. chrysleriana – V. chrysocarpa – V. chrysomallum – V. ciliata – V. clementis – V. cochinchinensis – V. cofassus – V. collina – V. colombiensis – V. compressa – V. congesta – V. congolensis – V. cooperi – V. coursii – V. cuspidata – V. cymosa – V. degeneriana – V. dinklagei – V. divaricata – V. diversifolia – V. djumaensis – V. doniana – V. duboisii – V. duckei – V. duclouxii – V. eberhardtii – V. elakelakensis – V. excelsa – V. farafanganensis – V. ferruginea – V. fischeri – V. flava – V. flavens – V. floridula – V. froesii – V. gabunensis – V. gamosepala – V. gardneriana – V. gaumeri – V. gigantea – V. giorgii – V. glabrata – V. golungensis – V. grandidiana – V. grandifolia – V. grisea – V. guanahacabibensis – V. guianensis – V. harveyana – V. haussknechtii – V. hemsleyi – V. heptaphylla – V. hirsutissima – V. holoadenon – V. holocalyx – V. humbertii – V. hypoleuca – V. ibarensis – V. impressinervia – V. integrifolia – V. iraquensis – V. kapirensis – V. keniensis – V. klugii – V. krukovii – V. kwangsiensis – V. lanigera – V. lastellei – V. leandrii – V. lebrunii – V. lehmbachii – V. leucoxylon – V. lignum-vitae – V. limonifolia – V. lindenii – V. lobata – V. lokundjensis – V. longipetiolata – V. longiracemosa – V. longisepala – V. lucens – V. lundensis – V. lutea – V. macrofoliola – V. madagascariensis – V. madiensis – V. maranhana – V. marquesii – V. martii – V. masoalensis – V. masoniana – V. medusicalyx – V. megapotamica – V. melicopea – V. menabeensis – V. micrantha – V. microphylla – V. millsii – V. milnei – V. mollis – V. mombassae – V. morogoroensis – V. mossambicensis – V. negundo – V. nlonakensis – V. novae-pommeraniae – V. obovata – V. orinocensis – V. oscitans – V. oxycuspis – V. pachyclada – V. panshiniana – V. parviflora – V. patula – V. payos – V. peduncularis – V. perrieri – V. pervillei – V. petersiana – V. phaeotricha – V. phillyreifolia – V. pierreana – V. pierrei – V. pinnata – V. poggei – V. polygama – V. pooara – V. praetervisa – V. pseudocuspidata – V. pseudolea – V. pulchra – V. pyramidata – V. queenslandica – V. quinata – V. regnelliana – V. rehmannii – V. resinifera – V. rivularis – V. rubra – V. rubroaurantiaca – V. rufescens – V. sampsonii – V. scabra – V. scandens – V. schaueriana – V. schliebenii – V. schomburgkiana – V. schunkei – V. seineri – V. sellowiana – V. seretii – V. siamica – V. snethlagiana – V. sprucei – V. stahelii – V. stellata – V. strickeri – V. stylosa – V. teloravina – V. thailandica – V. thomasii – V. thonneri – V. thorelii – V. thyrsiflora – V. tomentosa – V. tomentulosa – V. trichantha – V. triflora – V. trifolia – V. tripinnata – V. tristis – V. turczaninowii – V. ugogoensis – V. umbrosa – V. uniflora – V. urceolata – V. vansteenisii – V. vauthieri – V. velutinifolia – V. venulosa – V. vermoesenii – V. vestita – V. vitilevuensis – V. vondrozensis – V. waterlotii – V. wellensii – V. welwitschii – V. wimberleyi – V. yaundensis – V. yunnanensis – V. zanzibarensis – V. zenkeri – V. zeyheri
Name

Vitex L., Sp. Pl. 2: 638 [as "938"]. (1753)
Type species: Vitex agnus-castus L. Sp. Pl. 2: 638 [as "938"]. (1753)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Mailelou Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 200 (1763)
Limia Vand., Fl. Lusit. Bras. Spec.: 42 (1788)
Allasia Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 84 (1790)
Nephrandra Willd., Cothen. Disp. Veg.: 8 (1790)
Tripinna Lour., Fl. Cochinch.: 391 (1790)
Chrysomallum Thouars, Gen. Nov. Madagasc.: 8 (1806)
Tripinnaria Pers., Syn. Pl. 2: 173 (1807), nom. superfl.
Pyrostoma G.Mey., Prim. Fl. Esseq.: 219 (1818)
Wallrothia Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp.: 317 (1821)
Psilogyne DC., Biblioth. Universelle Genève 17: 132 (1838)
Casarettoa Walp., Repert. Bot. Syst. 4: 91 (1844)
Macrostegia Nees in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 11: 218 (1847)
Rapinia Montrouz., Mem. Acad. Roy. Sci. Lyon, Sect. Lett. 10: 243 (1860), nom. illeg.
Agnus-castus Tourn. ex Carrière, Rev. Hort. (Paris) 42: 415 (1871)
Varengevillea Baill., Hist. Pl. 11: 116 (1891)
Pistaciovitex Kuntze in T.E.von Post & C.E.O.Kuntze, Lex. Gen. Phan.: 442 (1903)
Viticipremna H.J.Lam, Verben. Malay. Archip.: 162 (1919)
Tsoongia Merr., Philipp. J. Sci. 23: 264 (1923)
Paravitex H.R.Fletcher, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1937: 74 (1937)
Neorapinia Moldenke, Phytologia 5: 225 (1955)

References

Linneaus (1753) Species Plantarum 2: 638 [as "938"].
Bramley, G.L.C., Forest, F. & de Kok, R.P.J. (2009) Troublesome tropical mints: re-examining generic limits of Vitex and relations (Lamiaceae) in South East Asia, Taxon, Volume 58 (2): 500–510(11). Available on line [1]. Accessed 2014 June 21.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2014. Vitex in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 Feb. 5. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2014. Vitex. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 Feb. 5.
International Plant Names Index. 2014. Vitex. Published online. Accessed: Feb. 5 2014.

Vernacular names
čeština: Drmek
dansk: Kyskhedstræ-slægten
English: Chaste-tree
Esperanto: Vitekso
suomi: Siveydenpuut
русский: Витекс

Vitex /ˈvaɪtɛks/[3] is a genus of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae.[4] It has about 250 species.[5][6] Common names include chaste tree or chastetree, traditionally referring to V. agnus-castus but often applied to other species as well.

Species of Vitex are native throughout the tropics and subtropics, with a few species in temperate Eurasia and one in New Zealand.[2][7]

About 18 species are known in cultivation. Vitex agnus-castus and Vitex negundo are often grown in temperate climates.[8] About six others are frequently grown in the tropics.[9] Most of the cultivated species serve as ornamentals. Some provide valuable lumber. The flexible limbs of some species are used in basket weaving.[7] Some of the aromatic species are used medicinally[9][10] or to repel mosquitos.[9]

The genus Vitex was named by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753.[11] Vitex was the name used by Pliny the Elder for Vitex agnus-castus. It is derived from the Latin vieo, meaning to weave or to tie up, a reference to the use of Vitex agnus-castus in basketry.[12]

As a result of phylogenetic studies of DNA sequences, Vitex is one of several genera that were transferred from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae in the 1990s. It is the largest genus in the subfamily Viticoideae of Lamiaceae.[5] Taxon sampling in molecular phylogenetic studies has never been sufficient to test the monophyly of Viticoideae, but it is generally thought to be an unnatural group.[13] The subfamily is probably diphyletic, with Premna, Gmelina, and Cornutia constituting one clade, and with Vitex, Petitia, Pseudocarpidium, and Teijsmanniodendron constituting the other.[14]

Description

Vitex is a genus of shrubs and trees, from 1 to 35m tall. Some species have whitish bark that is characteristically furrowed. Leaves are opposite, usually compound. The fruit is a drupe.[15]
Circumscription

In 2009, a molecular phylogenetic study showed that three small genera, Paravitex, Viticipremna, and Tsoongia are embedded in Vitex. These three genera were duly sunk into synonymy with Vitex.[14]

It is possible that Pseudocarpidium, Petitia, and Teijsmanniodendron are nested within Vitex. Sampling in the 2009 study was not sufficient to determine the phylogenetic position of these genera. The relationships of Teijsmanniodendron to these genera was not discussed in a revision of Teijsmanniodendron in 2009.[16]
Selected species

Vitex acunae
Vitex agnus-castus — chasteberry, monk's pepper, chastetree
Vitex ajugaeflora
Vitex altissima
Vitex amaniensis
Vitex capitata
Vitex chrysocarpa
Vitex cofassus
Vitex cooperi
Vitex cymosa
Vitex divaricata
Vitex doniana — wild African black plum, koronfinfin
Vitex evoluta
Vitex gaumeri
Vitex gigantea
Vitex heptaphylla
Vitex keniensis — Meru oak
Vitex kuylenii
Vitex lehmbachii
Vitex leucoxylon
Vitex lignum-vitae — yellow hollywood, lignum-vitae
Vitex lindenii
Vitex longisepala
Vitex lucens — puriri
Vitex megapotamica
Vitex negundo — five-leaf chastetree
Vitex obovata
Vitex orinocensis
Vitex parviflora — Molave tree
Vitex peduncularis
Vitex pinnata
Vitex quinata
Vitex rotundifolia — beach vitex
Vitex thyrsiflora
Vitex triflora
Vitex trifolia — simpleleaf chastetree
Vitex tripinnata
Vitex urceolata
Vitex yaundensis
Vitex zanzibarensis
Vitex zeyheri

Vitex cannabifolia flowers
Vitex chrysocarpus fruit and autumn leaves
References

"Genus: Vitex L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
"Vitex". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
List of Genera in Lamiaceae. At: Peter F. Stevens. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website. (see External links below).
Raymond M. Harley, Sandy Atkins, Andrey L. Budantsev, Philip D. Cantino, Barry J. Conn, Renée J. Grayer, Madeline M. Harley, Rogier P.J. de Kok, Tatyana V. Krestovskaja, Ramón Morales, Alan J. Paton, and P. Olof Ryding. 2004. "Labiatae" pages 167-275. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN 978-3-540-40593-1
Vitex In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see External links below).
David J. Mabberley. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK.
Anthony J. Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (editors). 1992. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. The Macmillan Press Limited, London; The Stockton Press, New York.
George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu (2005)
Tadzabia K, Maina HM, Maitera ON, Osunlaja AA (2013). "Elemental and Phytochemical Screening of Vitex Doniana Leaves and Stem Bark in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria" (PDF). International Journal of Chemical Studies. 1 (3): 165–172.
Carolus Linnaeus. 1753. Species Plantarum 2:706. Laurentii Salvii. (see External Links below).
Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names volume I, page 91. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, US. London, UK. ISBN 978-0-8493-2673-8 (set). (see External links below).
Systematics of Lamiaceae Subfamily Viticoideae. At: Website of Kew Gardens. (see External links below).
Gemma L.C. Bramley, Félix Forest, and Rogier P.J. de Kok. 2009. "Troublesome tropical mints: re-examining generic limits of Vitex and relations (Lamiaceae) in South East Asia". Taxon 58(2):500-510.
"Vitex Linn.". Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

Rogier P.J. de Kok, Go Rusea, and Abdul Latiff. 2009. "The Genus Teijsmanniodendron Koord. (Lamiaceae)". Kew Bulletin 64(4):587-625.

Sources

Ray Harley, "In search of Labiatae in Eastern Brazil", Vitex: A Newsletter for Lamiaceae & Verbenaceae Research, ISSN 1470-0123, Issue 1, February 2000, page 5.