Lamiaceae
Vitex

Vitex agnus-castus L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 638 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Medit. to Central Asia and Pakistan. It is a shrub or tree and grows primarily in the subtropical biome. It is has environmental uses, as a medicine and invertebrate food and for food.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia. Elevation range: 100–100 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas.
Habit
Shrub.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): DD.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 100 m.; Amazonia.
Morphology General Habit
Arbusto
[CPLC]

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol 8, Pt 7. Avicenniaceae, R. Fernandes. Nesogenaceae, M.A. Diniz. Verbenaceae, R. Fernandes. Lamiaceae, R. Fernandes. 2005.

Type
Type from Italy.
Morphology General
Deciduous shrub
Morphology Leaves Leaflets
Leaflets 5–7, aromatic, narrowly-lanceolate, petiolulate, glabrous above and white-tomentose beneath with tomentum obscuring the whole lower surface
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal, spiciform, comprised of many-flowered cymes in narrow panicles, usually with additional spiciform inflorescences from the axils of the upper leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, pale violet; corolla limb lower lip glabrous.
Distribution
Although reported by Biegel (loc. cit) to be cultivated as a garden ornamental no specimens have been seen from the Flora Zambesiaca area.
[FZ]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203350/177441757

Conservation
DD - data deficient
[IUCN]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Invertebrate Food
Used as invertebrate food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
The Chaste Tree

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0