| Home | > | List of families | > | Lamiaceae | > | Vitex | > | patula |
| Synonyms: |
Vitex isotjensis sensu auct. non Gibbs |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Many-stemmed, spreading shrub up to 4 m tall; bark fissured, grey to greyish-brown; young branches orange-tawny hairy to shortly woolly on new growth. Leaves 3- sometimes 5-foliolate; leaflets oblong-elliptic to narrow obovate, 3–9 cm long, rounded-obtuse or occasionally emarginate at the apex, somewhat chartaceous, drying a dark olive-green, paler beneath, more or less scabridulous above with minute bristles, sparsely puberulous to shortly woolly in young leaves beneath with hairs mainly on the nerves, gland-dotted; margin entire or sometimes more or less crenate in upper half; petiole up to 7 cm long, not grooved. Inflorescences axillary, 3–10 cm long, orange-tawny hairy; bracteoles usually linear, 0.5–1.5 cm long. Calyx obconical, 5-lobed, gland-dotted, woolly outside with shortly tangled hairs. Corolla c. 8 mm long, shortly woolly outside, not gland-dotted; tube creamy-white, 4–5 mm long; lobes mauve. Fruit an ellipsoid-spherical drupe, 0.9–1.3 cm long, rounded at the apex, rounded, c. 1/3 enclosed in the enlarged calyx, black at maturity. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | patula: spreading |
| Habitat: | Deciduous woodland on sandy soil and on rocky hillsides. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 400 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Limpopo South Africa. |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | W,E,S |
| Growth form(s): | Shrub over 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 854. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 37. As Vitex isotjensis Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 984 - 985. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 79. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 272. As Vitex isotjensis Fernandes, R. (2005). Lamiaceae (subfamilies: Viticoideae and Ajugoideae) Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 89 - 90. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 57. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 582 - 583. (Includes a picture). |
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