Vitex amaniensis W.Piep.

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

Type

Type from Tanzania.

Morphology General Habit

Tree c. 15–18 m tall; bark white or pale brown, smooth; older branches dark red-brown; young branches crisply pilose Tree c. 15–18 m tall; bark white or pale brown, smooth; older branches dark red-brown; young branches crisply pilose.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves drying dark, 3–5-foliolate; petioles 9–15 cm long, terete; median petiolules 0.5–2.5 cm long; leaflets 10–20 × 5–6.5 cm, median leaflet largest, elliptic to broad obovate, rounded or apiculate to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to ± attenuate at the base, entire to remotely serrulate, glabrous on both surfaces with a few short hairs on the nerves beneath, nerves ± raised on both surfaces Leaves drying dark, 3–5-foliolate; petioles 9–15 cm long, terete; median petiolules 0.5–2.5 cm long; leaflets 10–20 × 5–6.5 cm, median leaflet largest, elliptic to broad obovate, rounded or apiculate to shortly acuminate at the apex, cuneate to ± attenuate at the base, entire to remotely serrulate, glabrous on both surfaces with a few short hairs on the nerves beneath, nerves ± raised on both surfaces.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary obovoid, sparsely gland-dotted at apex only, glabrous, truncate at apex; style 5 mm long

Ecology

In the Flora Zambesiaca area known only from the evergreen rain forest at Chirinda in Zimbabwe; c. 1100 m.

Note

Only four gatherings of this species from the Flora Zambesiaca region have been seen by this author – all from the Chirinda Forest in Zimbabwe.  This rain forest species was apparently first collected there in 1948 (by N.C. Chase 435, Jan 1948, Chirinda Forest) and wrongly determined as V. lokundjensis W. Piep. by Moldenke (loc. cit. 1956).  V. amaniensis and V. lokundjensis show some superficial similarities (both are tall rain forest trees with leaves drying dark, leaflets petiolulate (to 2.5 cm long) and flowers in lax few-flowered axillary compound dichasia).  However, this mainly Cameroon species differs in many characters from our plant: in the terete petiole, longer bracteoles, lanate calyx, glabrous and gland-dotted ovary and the eglandular hairs on filaments.  Our plant shows great uniformity and differs from many of the Tanzanian plants in the non-gland-dotted leaves, obsolete calyx teeth and median lower lobe of the corolla larger and yellow.  Some Tanzanian specimens (e.g. Ulugurue, Tanana, Morogoro, E.M. Bruce 774 (K)) approach our plants, being clearly intermediates of a range of variation.  Although there is a major disjunction between the Tanzanian and the Zimbabwean plants, both localities occur in similar montane habitats with a similar floristic composition.

Distribution

Zimbabwe District code: ZIM E, ZIM B, ZIM E, ZIM S, MOZ N, MOZ Z, MOZ T, MOZ MS, MOZ GI, MOZ M. Mozambique Also in Tanzania. Zambia

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, 7–11 cm long, of ± slender, few-flowered compound dichasia, shortly crisped-pubescent; bracteoles 0.4–0.5 cm long, linear. Inflorescences axillary, 7–11 cm long, of ± slender, few-flowered compound dichasia, shortly crisped-pubescent; bracteoles 0.4–0.5 cm long, linear

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx obconical, 5-toothed, not gland-dotted, densely pubescent, accrescent in fruit; tube c. 2 mm long; teeth c. 0.3 mm, erect. Calyx obconical, 5-toothed, not gland-dotted, densely pubescent, accrescent in fruit; tube c. 2 mm long; teeth c. 0.3 mm, erect

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla pale yellow, 10–11 mm long, with scattered gland-dots, densely pubescent; tube c. 5 mm long, straight; lobes at obtuse angle to tube, middle lower lobe 5.5 × 4.5 cm. Corolla pale yellow, 10–11 mm long, with scattered gland-dots, densely pubescent; tube c. 5 mm long, straight; lobes at obtuse angle to tube, middle lower lobe 5.5 × 4.5 cm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens scarcely exserted from tube; filaments pubescent at base, hairs eglandular. Stamens scarcely exserted from tube; filaments pubescent at base, hairs eglandular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary obovoid, sparsely gland-dotted at apex only, glabrous, truncate at apex; style 5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Drupe c. 1.4 × 1 cm, obovoid (?immature), rounded at apex, ± enclosed in the enlarged calyx; fruiting calyx cup-shaped, pubescent, not gland-dotted. Drupe c. 1.4 × 1 cm, obovoid (?immature), rounded at apex, ± enclosed in the enlarged calyx; fruiting calyx cup-shaped, pubescent, not gland-dotted.