Vitex rotundifolia (Munir, 1987)

Sengun, S., Ingrouille, M., Paton, A. & de Kok, R. P. J., 2024, Taxonomic revision of the Vitex trifolia complex (Lamiaceae), Blumea 69 (2), pp. 93-121 : 113-115

8. Vitex rotundifolia L.f. — Fig. 14, 15; Map 8

Vitex rotundifolia L.f. (1782) 294; Munir (1987) 52; De Kok et al. (2016) 189; De Kok & Sengun (2019) 413. — Lectotype (designated here): Thunberg s.n. (Hb. Thunb. 14619) (lecto UPS-THUNB*; isolecto LINN-SM), Japan.

Vitex ovata Thunb. (1784) 578. — Vitex trifolia L. var. obovata (Thunb.) Benth. (1870) 67. — Vitex agnus-castus L. var. ovata (Thunb.) Kuntze (1891) 511, nom. superfl. — Vitex trifolia L. var. ovata (Thunb.) Makino (1903) 92, nom. superfl. — Type: Bladh s.n. (Hb. Thunb. 14618) (holo UPS-THUNB*), China, Macao.

Vitex trifolia L. var. simplicifolia Cham.(1832) 107; De Kok (2008) 32. — Type: Chamisso s.n. (holo LE n.v.).

Vitex repens Blanco (1837) 513; Merr. (1918) 332. — Neotype (designated by Sengun in De Kok et al. 2016): Merrill 814 (neo K [K000182650]), Philippines, Luzon, Batangas.

Vitex trifolia L. var. unifiolata Schauer (1847) 683. — Lectotype (designated by Sengun in De Kok et al. 2016): Thunberg s.n. (lecto UPS [UPS-THUNB 14619]*), Japan.

Vitex trifolia L. var. repens Ridl. (1923) 631; Munir (1987) 53. — Lectotype (designated by Sengun in De Kok et al. 2016): Ridley s.n. (lecto K; isolecto SING), Malaya, Kelantan.

Vitex rotundifolia L.f. f. albescens Hiyama (1948) 56. — Type: Makino s.n. (n.v.). Syn. nov .

Vitex trifolia L. subsp. littoralis Steenis (1957) 516. — Type: Bloembergen 3894 (holo L [ L0003970 ]; iso BRI [ BRI-AQ0430200 ]*), Lesser Sunda Islands, Kisar, E of Wonreli.

Vitex rotundifolia L.f. f. rosea Satomi (1983) 30. — Type: Satomi s.n. (holo KANA n.v.) , Japan, Honshu, Shuonya, Kaga city, Ishikawa Prefecture. Syn. nov .

[ Vitex rotundifolia L.f. f. albiflora S.S.Ying (1987) 504, nom. inval., type lacking] .

Vitex rotundifolia L.f. f. albiflora Y.N.Lee in Y. N. Lee & Y. S.Kim (2005) 26. — Type: Kim You Sung s.n. (holo Korean Plant Research Institution Seoul n.v.), Korea, Daebudo, Gyeonggi-do .

Prostrate to small erect shrub, 10 –60 cm high, sometimes forming dense mats of several meters diam, rooting at stem nodes. Leaves 1-foliolate; petioles 3–12 mm long. Leaflets: blades round to obovate or obovate-spathulate, apex mostly rounded, sometimes subacute, base cuneate, margin entire, upper surface green, lower surface pale green to grey-green or silvery, aromatic when crushed; secondary veins 4–7(–9) per side, slightly prominent, visible on both surfaces; terminal leaflets 1.4–5.3 by 0.8–3.3 cm. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, consisting of lateral cymes in dense clusters with persistent flowers; axis 4–12 cm long, smooth; bracteoles ovate to linear, up to 2 mm long, appressed, usually caducous, drying the same colour as inflorescence. Calyx glands few; tube 2.3–4.4 mm long; lobes 2–6 by 3–11 mm, apex acute, rarely acute to acuminate; flowering calyx 3–4 mm diam; fruiting calyx 3.5–4.5 mm diam, erect, covering most of the mature fruit. Corolla purplish blue to white; glands many; tube 5.3–8.3 mm long; anterior lip spathulate, 3.9–7 by 3.3–7.4 mm, apex round to truncated, anterior corolla lip with semi-circular area of hairs at the corolla mouth; lateral lobes 3–4.2 by 2–3 mm, apex rounded, reflexed; posterior lip lobes 3–3.5 by 3–3.5 mm, apex acute, reflexed to erect. Stamens: filaments 5.2–8.2 mm long, slightly to strongly didynamous, inserted halfway to lower 1/3 of the corolla tube; anthers 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary 1–1.5 mm diam, glabrous, glands many, covering the apex; style 9.8– 14.6 mm long; stigma lobes 6–13 mm long. Fruit globose, when dried 4.4–5.3 by 4.3–5 mm, glabrous, turning first purplish, then black when mature.

Distribution — Widespread from Japan, Korea and China to Australia (from the north of Western Australia to Southern Queensland) and into the Pacific to Samoa and Fiji. The species is apparently absent from most of the central Pacific, but an isolated population occurs in Hawaii.

Habitat & Ecology — Growing on sandy seashores, coastal dunes and on sandbars along rivers up to 10 km from the coast. Growing just above the high-water mark to 200 m altitude. Flowering and fruiting: June to January.

Uses — Medicinal uses, particularly in Chinese and Japanese medicine systems.

Vernacular names — Beach Vitex (English) ; Dĕmunla, Gu- nong pantai, Lagundi, Lagundi Laud (Malay); Hamago (Japanese); Wora tach (local language in Western Flores, Indonesia).

Conservation status — Least concern (LC) as it is common throughout its range and there are no known threats ( Sengun 2017).

Notes — 1. The whole plant has a pungent smell despite the flowers being reported to smell as lavender.

2. It can be confused with V. trifolia , see notes under this taxon.

3. From Blanco’s original description it is clear that V. repens is indeed V. rotundifolia . However, what Merrill suggested as the example specimen for V. repens (Merrill Species Blancoanae 814, Philippines, Luzon, Batangas Province, Bauang Is.), is V. trifolia . Therefore, a different specimen, which exhibits all the characteristics of the species, is designated here as the neotype.

4. The type materials of V. rotundifolia L.f. f. albescens and V. rotundifolia L.f. f. rosea Satomi were not seen, but from the original descriptions it is clear that they are a flower colour variation within this species and, therefore, they were placed in synonymy.

Figures

Map 8 Natural distribution of Vitex rotundifolia L.f.