Vitex cofassus Reinw. ex Blume

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

de Kok, R. (2008). The genus Vitex (Labiatae) in the Flora Malesiana region, excluding New Guinea. Kew Bulletin 63: 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-007-9013-7

Distribution

Indonesia: Sulawesi, Moluccas, Aru Islands, West Papua; Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Caroline Islands: Koror Island (see de Kok 2007). Indonesia: Sulawesi, Moluccas. Aru Islands, West Papua; Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Caroline Islands: Koror Island. Also reported from the Marianas (Whitmore 1966). Introduced into Java and Sri Lanka (Moldenke & Moldenke 1983).

Vernacular

(Widespread or unpublished ones only): English: New Guinea teak. Indonesia: Goefasa (Indonesian); Celebes: Nau-nau (Palopo), Wanasa (Boeloekoemba bb 8579). Aru Islands: Alaua (Kobroor village). Halmahera: Ogofase mabedeka (Tobaro language, de Vogel 4462). Moluccas, Morotai: Gowaha (Tanghilisan 239). (Widespread local names only). Indonesia: Goefasa (Malay); Papua New Guinea: Garamut or Bitin (Pidgin language).

Type

Indonesia, Insulis Moluccauis, (lecto-, Rumphii Herb. Amb. t. III, t 14 B). Designated here.

Morphology General Habit

Tree (rarely a shrub) 6 - 40(- 60) m high, bole 0.3 - 26 m, 15 - 225 cm diameter at breast height (DBH), stem often twisted, buttresses absent or up to 6 m high

Morphology General Bark

Bark smooth to flaky, (light to greyish) brown to white-yellowish grey, slash cream to straw-coloured with bright orange or yellow-brown streaks; sapwood creamy to straw-coloured or orange; heart wood (dark to grey) brown or black, very hard, oily; exudate absent to sparse yellowish watery

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, usually obovate, (2.5-)10-30 x (0.8-)3-11 cm, ratio 1.4-3.5, diminishing in size towards the inflorescence, glabrous, base cuneate to rounded, apex acuminate to rarely rounded, margin entire, medium green on both sides or paler below; venation pinnate, 9 - 18 main side veins, prominent beneath, sunken above, pale green or yellow beneath; glands white to orange

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petiole 2.5 - 8 cm long, terete, with two leaf scars at apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence terminal (occasionally axillary), paniculate, 2.5 - 45 cm long, greyish green, covered with appressed, simple hairs; first-order bracteoles leaf-like, glabrous, diminishing in size towards apex, usually falling off; higher-order bracteoles scale-like, triangular to linear, up to 4 mm long, velutinous, usually persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed (but lobes usually obscure), lobes up to 1 mm long, slightly accrescent, (pale) green to yellow-brown, glabrous or with a few hairs at base (young buds can be velutinous); glands few; flowering calyx 2 - 2.3 mm diameter, erect; fruiting calyx 5 - 6 mm diameter, patent to reflexed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 5-lobed, covered externally except for apical margins with appressed hairs, inside with a ring of long erect hairs around the base of filaments, sometime sweetly scented; glands many; lip 2.5 - 5 x 5.5 - 6 mm, spathulate, apex emarginate, margin crenate and imbricate, patent to reflexed, with erect hairs at base, dark purple, sometimes with a white rim or white spots along the margin or at base; side lobes 2.5 - 3.5 x 2.5 - 3 mm, recurved, apex acute, white to pale violet-blue; back lobes 2 - 3 x 1.7- 2 mm, erect to reflexed, fused up to 10%, apex round, white to pale violet-blue; tube 4 - 5 mm long, infundibular, purple-white

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments

Filaments 4.5 - 6 mm long, inserted halfway on the corolla tube, exceeding the corolla tube, glabrous, except for tuft of erect simple multicellular hairs at base, purple to purplish blue; anther 0.7 - 1 mm long, sub-basifixed, deep mauve to black, pollen yellow

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary c. 1 mm diameter, globose, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style 6- 7 mm long, exceeding the corolla, glabrous, purple; stigma 2-lobed, lobes c. 0.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit, when fresh 0.7/ - 1 cm diameter, irregularly globose, when dried 4- 7.5 mm diameter, clavoid, glabrous, fleshy, purple to black when mature, shiny, sweet-tasting, purple juice

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 4 (or less by abortion) per fruit

Seedling

Seedlings with coarsely notched leaves (Whitmore 1966)

Morphology General Wood

For a detailed anatomical description of the wood, see Fundter & Wisse (1977).

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting all year round and reported to have a low fruit set compared to the abundance of flowers (Richardson 4088).

Ecology

Canopy to small understory tree, often common in coastal vegetation or (primary, secondary, swamp or tidal) forest, often in disturbed areas (roadside and gardens) and often along watercourses, at 0 - 400 (- 1200) m altitude. Soil: clay or brownish red loam to sand, sometimes on serpentine, limestone or porous volcanic substrates. Associated with Terminalia archipelagi Coode, T. brassii Exell and Pometia pinnata J. & G. Forst.

Conservation

Not threatened.

Note

This species differs from the widespread species Vitex quinata in having one leaflet per leaf, calyces that are clearly less hairy than the inflorescence, and a corolla lip that is clearly emarginated. By contrast, V. quinata usually has palmate leaves, calyces that are as velutinous as the inflorescence, and a corolla lip with a truncated apex. The calyx indumentum character can sometimes be difficult to interpret in specimens that have old inflorescences. Vitex cofassus is one of the few Vitex species that has only one leaflet per leaf. This situation is most likely to be a derived one, as two clear leaf scars are always present at the apical end of the petiole. Furthermore, very occasionally, specimens can be found that have first-order bracteoles on the inflorescence that are trifoliolate. Moldenke based his form, V. cofassus f. anomala, on these rare examples (Moldenke 1951).