Vitex pseudonegundo (Hausskn. ex Bornm.) Hand.-Mazz.

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 : 111-113

7. Vitex pseudonegundo (Hausskn. ex Bornm.) Hand.-Mazz. — Fig. 13 ; Map 7

Vitex pseudonegundo (Hausskn. ex Bornm.) Hand.-Mazz. (1913) 408; C.C.Towns. (1972) 148. — Vitex agnus-castus L. var. pseudonegundo Hausskn. ex Bornm. (1907) 117. — Lectotype (designated by Townsend 1972): Strauss s.n. (JE [JE00000041]*), Iran, Burujird.

Vitex hausknechtii Bornm. (1907) 118. — Type: Haussknecht s.n. (holo JE (not found); iso B [ B 10 0365967]), Syria, Marasch ,prope Dschilan-Köprü.

Vitex negundo L. var. trifoliolata Moldenke (1973) 432. — Type: Rechinger 29984 (holo US [ US 00119275]), (Pakistan,) Sulaiman Mountains, 100 km east of Fort Sandeman, between Mughal Kot and Daraban.

Vitex agnus-castus auct. non L.: Boiss. (1879) 535, p.p.

Shrub or small tree, 1–3 m high, deciduous. Bark smooth, grey. Leaves 5–7-foliolate; petioles 1–6.1 cm long. Leaflets: blades lanceolate, apex acuminate, base cuneate, margin entire, upper surface dull green, lower surface whitish; side veins 11–15 per side, slightly prominent, visible on both surfaces; terminal leaflets 4–12.5 by 0.5–2.7 cm; terminal petiolules 0–1.2 cm long; lateral leaflets 2.5–10.4 by 0.5–2.1 cm; lateral petiolules 0(–0.9) cm long; basal leaflets 1.2–7 by 0.1–2.2 cm; basal petiolules 0–0.3 cm long. Inflorescences terminal, consisting of lateral cymes in dense clusters with persistent flowers; axis 15–25 cm long, smooth; bracteoles ovate to linear, up to 2 mm long, appressed, caducous, drying the same colour as inflorescence. Calyx glands many; tube 1.3–2.4 mm long; lobes 0.5–0.7 by 0.5–1 mm, apex acute; flowering calyx 2.8–3.2 mm diam; fruiting calyx 2.7–4.2 mm diam, patent to erect, covering half to most of the mature fruit. Corolla pale lilac to blue; glands

3 mm

few; tube 3.3–4.9 mm long; anterior lip spathulate, 2–4.3 by 2.1–4 mm, apex rounded to acute, anterior corolla lip with semi-circular area of hairs at the corolla mouth; lateral lobes 1.3–1.5by 1.2–1.5 mm, apex rounded, erect; posterior lip lobes 1.3–1.6 by 1.7–1.8 mm, apex acute, erect. Stamens: filaments 2.2–5 mm long, slightly didynamous to equal, glabrous to hairy, inserted halfway to lower 1/3 of the corolla tube; anthers c. 1 mm long. Ovary c. 1 mm diam, hairy, glands absent to many covering the apex; style 2.7–6.9 mm long; stigma lobes 0.1–0.7 mm long. Fruit broadly obovoid to globose, when fresh 3–4 mm diam, dried 2.5–3.1 by 2.3–3 mm, glabrous to few hairs on top, black to reddish when mature.

Distribution — Southeast Turkey, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Habitat & Ecology — Along rivers and creeks, in open vegetations. Soil: clay, sandy or gravel, at 5–750 m altitude. Flowering and fruiting: March to September.

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

Note — Often confused with V. agnus-castus , see notes under this taxon.

Figures

Map 7 Natural distribution of Vitex pseudonegundo (Hausskn. ex Bornm.) Hand.-Mazz.

Fig. 13 Vitex pseudonegundo (Hausskn. ex Bornm.) Hand.-Mazz. a. Habit; b. inflorescence detail; c. flower, side view; d. calyx open; e. corolla open; f. ovary & style; g. ovary detail; h. fruit side view; i. fruit in cross-section (a: KÖle 2090; b–c, h: Andursky 280; d–g: Furse 8226; i: Jones 2; all K). — Drawing by Juliet Beentje.