Vitex amaniensis W.Piep.

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Lamiaceae > Vitex

Characteristics

Tree 12–20 m. tall, with smooth white bark or pale grey-brown ± corky bark on twigs; branchlets crisply pilose.. Leaves drying dark, 5-foliolate; leaflets elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 6.5–18 cm. long, 3.2–9(–11) cm. wide, acuminate, cuneate at the base, glabrous above, pubescent beneath only on the nerves which are rather close and parallel, glandular-punctate, entire to remotely serrulate with upwardly directed teeth; petioles 6–12 cm. long; petiolules 0.5–2 cm. long.. Inflorescences axillary, 8–25 cm. long, ± few-flowered dichasial cymes, the axes ferruginous tomentose or shortly crisped-pilose; bracteoles linear, 0.5–1 cm. long; peduncles 3–11.5(–13) cm. long; pedicels of central flowers up to 5 mm. long but others much shorter.. Calyx campanulate, 3–4 mm. long, somewhat 2-lipped, densely grey crisped-hairy, irregularly toothed, the teeth ± 1 mm. long.. Corolla lilac-white or pale blue with deeper blue lips and mauve lines; tube 3.5 mm. long, ferruginous tomentose outside; larger lip 3-fid, the main lobe 2.75 × 3 mm., the others much smaller; smaller lip with 3 ovate-triangular lobes 2.2 × 1–2 mm.. Ovary glandular at apex.. Fruit black, ellipsoid-oblong, 0.9–1.1 cm. long, 6.5 mm. wide, glabrous; calycine cup 0.7–1 cm. wide, pale brown pubescent.
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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.
A tree. It grows up to 20 m tall. The bark is white or pale brown. The leaf stalk is 9-15 cm long. The leaves have 3-5 leaflets. The leaflets are 10-20 cm long by 5-7 cm wide. The middle leaflet is the largest. The flowering shoots are in the axils of the leaves and 7-11 cm long. They are slender with a few flowers. The fruit is fleshy and 1.4 cm long by 1 cm wide.
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.
Drupe c. 1.4 × 1 cm, obovoid (?immature), rounded at apex, ± enclosed in the enlarged calyx; fruiting calyx cup-shaped, pubescent, not gland-dotted.
Inflorescences axillary, 7–11 cm long, of ± slender, few-flowered compound dichasia, shortly crisped-pubescent; bracteoles 0.4–0.5 cm long, linear.
Calyx obconical, 5-toothed, not gland-dotted, densely pubescent, accrescent in fruit; tube c. 2 mm long; teeth c. 0.3 mm, erect.
Tree c. 15–18 m tall; bark white or pale brown, smooth; older branches dark red-brown; young branches crisply pilose.
Ovary obovoid, sparsely gland-dotted at apex only, glabrous, truncate at apex; style 5 mm long.
Stamens scarcely exserted from tube; filaments pubescent at base, hairs eglandular.
Life form -
Growth form tree
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 17.5 - 20.0
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Environment

Moist forests at medium elevations. Evergreen rainforest at elevations around 1,100 metres in Zimbabwe.
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It is a tropical plant. It has been recorded at about 1,100 m in Zimbabwe.
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Usage

Uses timber wood
Edible fruits
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Cultivation

Can be grown by seedlings.
Mode seedlings
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Distribution

Vitex amaniensis world distribution map, present in Tanzania, United Republic of and Zimbabwe

Conservation status

Vitex amaniensis threat status: Vulnerable

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:865580-1
WFO ID wfo-0000332936
COL ID 5BKYG
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Vitex amaniensis