Vitex agnus-castus

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Overview

All parts of this shrub are aromatic with a medicinal scent reminiscent of garden sage. The fragrant stems are used in basket weaving.

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Genus Vitex

Trees or shrubs . Branches glabrous or sparsely pubescent . Leaves opposite, palmately (1-) 3-8-foliolate; leaflets petiolulate , margin entire , dentate , serrate, or incised. Inflorescences terminal or axillary cymes, thyrses , or panicles; bracts usually small, often early deciduous. Calyx campanulate , tubular , or funnelform , sometimes 2-lipped, usually truncate or shortly 5-dentate. Corolla blue, white, or yellow, 2-lipped, lower lip 3-lobed with middle lobe greatly elongated, upper lip usually 2-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous , sometimes exserted; anther locules attached only at tip , becoming divaricate . Ovary 2-4-locular; ovules 1 or 2 per locule. Style filiform ; stigma 2-cleft. Drupes subtended by enlarged calyx, globose , ovoid , or obovoid , normally 4-locular and 4-seeded but often some locules suppressed and base of pyrene forming a hollowed cavity , endocarp a bony pyrene, mesocarp generally fleshy . Seeds obovoid or oblong , endosperm absent; cotyledons usually fleshy.

About 250 species: chiefly tropical , few in temperate regions of both hemispheres; 14 species in China."Vitex". in Flora of China Vol. 17 Page 28. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Landscaping

Care: Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Watering can be reduced after establishment. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring .

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 24-36" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.1 • Maximum pH: 7.8

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: High • Water Requirements: Water regularly, when top 3" of soil is dry.

Temperature: Heat Zones: High: 9 (>120 to 150 days) Low:4 (>14 to 30 days) (map) • Cold Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Sp. pl. 2:638. 1753

Name verified on 12-Sep-1995 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 20-Nov-1998

Similar Species

Members of the genus Vitex

There are approximately 575 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

V. acuminata · V. acunae · V. adulterina · V. aesculifolia · V. agelaeifolia · V. agelaeifolia var. rufula · V. agnus · V. agnus-castus (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Abbeville Blue' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Alba' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Blue Spire' · V. agnus-castus 'Blushing Bride' · V. agnus-castus 'Blushing Spires' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Lavender Lady' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Montrose Purple' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Rosea' · V. agnus-castus 'Shoal Creek' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Silver Spire' (Silver Spire Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus 'Silver Spires' (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus var. agnus-castus · V. agnus-castus var. caerulea · V. agnus-castus var. latifolia (Chaste Tree) · V. agnus-castus var. subtrisecta · V. agnuscastus · V. agraria · V. aherniana · V. ajugaeflora · V. alata · V. altissima · V. altissima f. alata · V. altmanni · V. amaniensis · V. amazonica · V. amboniensis · V. andongensis · V. angolensis · V. angus-castus · V. annamense · V. annamensis · V. appendiculata · V. appuni · V. arborea · V. articulata · V. aurea · V. avicennioides · V. babula · V. bahiensis · V. bakeri · V. balbi · V. balbisii · V. bankae · V. bantamensis · V. barbata · V. befotakensis · V. benthamiana · V. benuensis · V. bequaertii · V. beraviensis · V. beraviensis f. pilosa · V. beraviensis f. villosa · V. berteroana · V. betsiliensis · V. betsiliensis subsp. barorum · V. bicolor · V. bignonioides · V. bipindensis · V. bogalensis · V. bogoriensis · V. bojeri · V. bojeri var. suborbicularis · V. bombacifolia · V. bracteata · V. bracteosa · V. brasiliensis · V. brevilabiata · V. brevipetiolata · V. brittoniana · V. buchananii · V. buchneri · V. buddingii · V. bulusanensis · V. bunguensis · V. burmensis · V. caespitosa · V. californica · V. calothyrsa · V. camporum · V. canescens · V. cannabifolia (Chinese Chaste Tree) · V. capitata · V. capitata f. albiflora · V. capulin · V. carbunculorum · V. caribaea · V. carvalhi · V. cauliflora · V. cauliflora var. longifolia · V. cauliflora var. villosissima · V. celebica · V. cestroides

Bibliography

• Davis, P. H., ed. 1965–1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. (F Turk)
• Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
• Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage. (Zander ed14)
• Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
• Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931–1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. (L Maroc)
• Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR. (F USSR)
• Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2. (Ency CNatIn)
• McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2)
• Meikle, R. D. 1977–1985. Flora of Cyprus. (F Cyprus)
• Mouterde, P. 1966–. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. (F Liban)
• Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979–1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones. (F Tunis)
• Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962–1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie. (F Alger)
• Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. (F Eur)
• Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966–. Flora palaestina. (F Palest)
• P'ei Chien & Chen Shou-liang, eds. 1982. Verbenaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 65(1): 1-229.

More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 14, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 17 providers.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 01, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 14, 2007:

• European Environment Agency, EUNIS
• GBIF-Spain, Botánica, Universidad de León: LEB-Cormo
• GBIF-Spain, Herbario Universidad de Málaga: MGC-Cormófitos
• GBIF-Spain, Hortus Botanicus Sollerensis Herbarium
• GBIF-Spain, Jardín Botánico de Córdoba: Herbarium COA
• GBIF-Spain, Universidad de Almería, HUAL
• Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Israel Nature and Parks Authority
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
• The Swedish Museum of Natural History
• , Lund Botanical Museum
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium

Identifiers

• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-32221
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13746206
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:865569-1
• GRIN Nomen Number: 41813
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 32221
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: VIAGC
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 67959

Footnotes

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