- Vitex
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Vitex 
Vitex altissima Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Verbenaceae Subfamily: Viticoideae Genus: Vitex
L.[1]Type species Vitex agnus-castus
L.Diversity About 250 species Synonyms Macrostegia Nees
Neorapinia MoldenkeVitex is a genus of flowering plants in the family Verbenaceae.[2] It has about 250 species.[3] Its type species is Vitex agnus-castus.[4] There is no universal English name, though "chastetree" (commonly referring to V. agnus-castus specifically) is common for many species. Generally, they are simply called vitex (pronounced /ˈvaɪtɛks/)[5] however.
Species of Vitex are native throughout the tropics and subtropics, with a few species in temperate Eurasia.[6] Vitex is a genus of shrubs and trees, from 1 to 35m tall.
About 18 species are known in cultivation. Vitex agnus-castus and Vitex negundo are often grown in temperate climates.[7] About six others are frequently grown in the tropics.[8] Most of the cultivated species serve as ornamentals. Some provide valuable lumber. The flexible limbs of some species are used in basket weaving.[6] Some of the aromatic species are used medicinally or to repel mosquitos.[8]
The genus Vitex was named by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753.[9] Vitex was the name used by Pliny the Elder for Vitex agnus-castus. It is derived from the Latin vieo, meaning to weave or to tie up, a reference to the use of Vitex agnus-castus in basketry.[10]
Vitex is one of several genera that was transferred from Verbenaceae to Lamiaceae in the 1990s as a result of phylogenetic studies of DNA sequences. It is the largest genus in the subfamily Viticoideae of Lamiaceae.[3] Taxon sampling in molecular phylogenetic studies has never been sufficient to test the monophyly of Viticoideae, but it is generally thought to be an unnatural group.[11] The subfamily is probably diphyletic, with Premna, Gmelina, and Cornutia constituting one clade, and with Vitex, Petitia, Pseudocarpidium, and Teijsmanniodendron constituting the other.[12]
Contents
Circumscription
In 2009, a molecular phylogenetic study showed that three small genera, Paravitex, Viticipremna, and Tsoongia are embedded in Vitex. These three genera were duly sunk into synomymy with Vitex.[12]
It is possible that Pseudocarpidium, Petitia, and Teijsmanniodendron are nested within Vitex. Sampling in the 2009 study was not sufficient to determine the phylogenetic position of these genera. The relationships of Teijsmanniodendron to these genera was not discussed in a revision of Teijsmanniodendron in 2009.[13]
Selected species
Vitex cannabifolia flowers
Vitex chrysocarpus fruit and autumn leaves- Vitex agnus-castus – Chasteberry, Monk's Pepper, "chastetree"
- Vitex altissima L.f.
- Vitex cannabifolia
- Vitex capitata
- Vitex chrysocarpus
- Vitex cofassus
- Vitex divaricata
- Vitex doniana Wild African black plum Sweet
- Vitex incisa
- Vitex keniensis – Meru Oak
- Vitex leucoxylon
- Vitex lignum-vitae – Yellow Hollywood, "lignum-vitae"
- Vitex lindenii
- Vitex lucens – Puriri
- Vitex megapotamica
- Vitex negundo – Five-leaf Chastetree
- Vitex obovata
- Vitex obovata ssp. wilmsii
- Vitex parviflora – Molave Tree
- Vitex peduncularis
- Vitex pinnata
- Vitex quinata
- Vitex rotundifolia – Beach Vitex
- Vitex trifolia – Simpleleaf Chastetree
- Vitex zeyheri
Formerly placed here
- Gmelina leichhardtii – Grey Teak, "white beech"
References
- ^ "Genus: Vitex L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?12733. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ^ List of Genera in Lamiaceae. At: Peter F. Stevens. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website. (see External links below).
- ^ a b Raymond M. Harley, Sandy Atkins, Andrey L. Budantsev, Philip D. Cantino, Barry J. Conn, Renée J. Grayer, Madeline M. Harley, Rogier P.J. de Kok, Tatyana V. Krestovskaja, Ramón Morales, Alan J. Paton, and P. Olof Ryding. 2004. "Labiatae" pages 167-275. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN 978-3-540-40593-1
- ^ Vitex In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see External links below).
- ^ "Vitex". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
- ^ a b David J. Mabberley. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK.
- ^ Anthony J. Huxley, Mark Griffiths, and Margot Levy (editors). 1992. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. The Macmillan Press Limited, London; The Stockton Press, New York.
- ^ a b George W. Staples and Derral R. Herbst "A Tropical Garden Flora" Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu (2005)
- ^ Carolus Linnaeus. 1753. Species Plantarum 2:706. Laurentii Salvii. (see External Links below).
- ^ Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names volume I, page 91. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington,DC;, US. London, UK. ISBN 978-0-8493-2673-8 (set). (see External links below).
- ^ a b Gemma L.C. Bramley, Félix Forest, and Rogier P.J. de Kok. 2009. "Troublesome tropical mints: re-examining generic limits of Vitex and relations (Lamiaceae) in South East Asia". Taxon 58(2):500-510.
- ^ Rogier P.J. de Kok, Go Rusea, and Abdul Latiff. 2009. "The Genus Teijsmanniodendron Koord. (Lamiaceae)". Kew Bulletin 64(4):587-625.
Sources
- Ray Harley, "In search of Labiatae in Eastern Brazil", Vitex: A Newsletter for Lamiaceae & Verbenaceae Research, ISSN 1470-0123, Issue 1, February 2000, page 5.
External links
- List of Genera in Lamiaceae At: Lamiaceae At: Lamiales At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missoure Botanical Garden Website
- Vitex At:Index Nominum Genericorum At: References At: NMNH Department of Botany
- Vitex In: Species Plantarum volume 2 At: Biodiversity Heritage Library
- CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: R-Z At: Botany & Plant Science At: Life Science At: CRC Press
- Systematics of Lamiaceae Subfamily Viticoideae At: Kew Gardens
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