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Taxonomy

Notes:

A tentatively accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Physical Description

Family Verbenaceae:

Shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing shrubs, rarely herbs. Indumentum of simple, stellate, and/or other complex hairs. Leaves opposite or rarely whorled, without stipules, simple or 3-foliolate, less often palmately [or pinnately] compound. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemose, cymose, spicate, or thyrses. Flowers bisexual or polygamous by abortion, zygomorphic or rarely actinomorphic. Calyx persistent. Corolla 4- or 5- or more lobed; lobes usually spreading, aestivation overlapping. Fertile stamens inserted on corolla tube, alternate with lobes; filaments free; anthers dorsifixed, 1- or 2-locular, dehiscing by longitudinal slits or sometimes a circular pore. Ovary entire or 4-grooved, 2-8-locular; ovules 1 or 2 per locule, erect or pendulous. Style terminal, simple, entire or 2-cleft. Fruit a drupe or indehiscent capsule, sometimes breaking up into nutlets. Seeds (1 or) 2-4, endosperm usually absent, seed coat thin; embryo straight, as long as seed; radicle short, inferior.

Some 91 genera and ca. 2000 species: primarily tropical and subtropical, 20 genera and 182 species in China.

The classification of Verbenaceae is in a state of flux, especially regarding its relationship to Lamiaceae. There is evidence to suggest a significant division between members of subfamily Verbenoideae, genera 1-5 in this account, and the remaining genera, including genera 6-20, which for convenience are here referred to as subfamily Viticoideae s.l. The latter are more closely allied to each other and to genera traditionally kept within Lamiaceae (including genera 1-8 in this Flora) . Avicennia is often placed in a family of its own, but its affinities are clearly with Viticoideae, especially genera 17-19 in this account which have traditionally been placed in a separate subfamily, Symphorematoideae.^[1]

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.^[2]

Similar Species

Members of the genus Vitex:

There are approximately 614 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: V. obovata wilmsii · 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 L. var. agnus-castus L. · 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 baronum · 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. buchanani · 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

Bibliography

• P'ei Chien & Chen Shou-liang, eds. 1982. Verbenaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 65(1): 1-229.

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Notes

Identifiers:

• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1807816

Footnotes:

1. Shou-liang Chen & Michael G. Gilbert "Verbenaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 17 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
2. "Vitex". in Flora of China Vol. 17 Page 28. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.