Vitex bicolor Willd.

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 : 102-103

3. Vitex bicolor Willd. — Fig. 5 , 6 ; Map 3

Vitex bicolor Willd. (1809) 660; Munir (1987) 66; De Kok & Sengun (2019) 400. — Vitex negundo L. var. bicolor (Willd.) H.J. Lam (1919) 191. — Vitex trifolia L. var. bicolor (Willd.) Moldenke (1942) 79; (1958) 174. — Type: Herb. Willd. 11709 (holo B-W [B11709-010]*), ‘Habitat in India Orientale’, cult. Hort. Berlin from seeds sent by Klein (‘Ind. 1797’).

Vitex arborea Desf. (1829) 391, nom. illeg., not Vitex arborea Roxb. ex Jack (1820) . — Type: Anonymous s.n. (iso MPU [MPU013116]*).

Vitex leucoxylon Blanco (1837) 516, nom. illeg., not Vitex leucoxylon L.f. — Type: Merrill Sp. Blanc. 440 (neo L [L.2768327]*), Philippines, Luzon , Rizal Province, Antipolo.

Vitex neocaledonica Gand. (1918) 64; Mabb. & De Kok (2004) 37; De Kok (2007) 597. — Type: Debeaux s.n. (holo LY n.v.), New Calédonia, Nouméa .

Vitex petiolaris Domin (1928) 561; Munir (1987) 67. — Type: Domin 8167 (holo PR n.v.), Nordost-Queensland, an der Küste bei Cairns.

Vitex trifolia L. var. bicolor f. albiflora Moldenke (1961) 86; De Kok (2007) 597. — Type: Parks 16178 (holo UC [UC297255]*;iso K,NY [NY01043251]*), Tonga Islands, Eua, Ohonua.

Vitex negundo L. var. philippinensis Moldenke (1978) 308; De Kok (2008) 32. — Syntypes: Elmer 8125 (K, NY [NY00138511]), Luzon, Laguna Province, Los Baños.

Shrub or small tree, up to 1.5–5 m high. Leaves (1)3–5-foliolate; petiole 1.5–5.2 cm long. Leaflets: blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate, base cuneate, margin entire, upper surface dark dull green, drying dark brown or black, lower surface pale green; secondary veins 6 –16 per side, not prominent, usually not very visible; terminal leaflets 3.8–9.6 by 1.2–4 cm long; terminal petiolules (0.4–) 0.9–2 cm long; lateral leaflets 2.6–8.2 by 1–2.9 cm; lateral petiolules (0.4–)0.8–1.5(–1.8) cm long in 5-foliolate leaves and sessile in trifoliate leaves; basal leaflets in 5-foliolate leaves 1.4–4.5 by 0.4–1.6 cm; basal petiolules 0(–0.1) cm long. Inflorescences terminal, consisting of lateral cymes in lax clusters with persistent flowers; axis 5.9–15 cm long, smooth; bracteoles ovate to linear, up to 2 mm long, patent, usually persistent, drying the same colour as inflorescence. Calyx glands absent to few; tube 1.4–2.3 mm long; lobes 0.2–0.8 by 0.3–0.8 mm, lobe apex acute, rarely acuminate; flowering calyx 1–1.5 mm diam; fruiting calyx 2–2.5 mm diam, erect, covering up to 1/3 of the mature fruit. Corolla pale lilac, blue to violet; glands few or absent; tube 3.2–6.2 mm long; anterior lip orbicular to ovate, 2.3–3.2 by 2.3–3.3 mm, apex round, anterior corolla lip with semi-circular area of hairs at the corolla mouth; lateral lobes 1.2–1.5 by 1– 2 mm, apex round, patent; posterior lobes 1.2–1.5 by 1–1.2 mm, apex round, erect. Stamens: filaments 2.6–4.1 mm long, slightly to strongly didynamous, inserted halfway to lower 1/3 of the corolla tube; anthers c. 0.8 mm long. Ovary 0.6–0.8 by 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous, glands few at apex; style 3.6–7 mm long; stigma lobes 0.2–0.7 mm long. Fruits ellipsoid when dried, 2.6–5.1 by 2.8–5.8 mm, glabrous, black or purple when mature.

Distribution — Sri Lanka; South China (Hainan); Japan (Okinawa); throughout Malesia; Australia (Queensland); W Pacific ( Tonga, Samoa and Marianas).

Habitat & Ecology — Beaches and low hills, growing in sand, at 0–20(–300) m altitude. Flowering: August to May; fruiting: September to May.

Vernacular names — Andami (Bajawa language, Indonesia), Lagundi (Brunei-Malay).

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

Notes — 1. It was not possible to see the types of V. petiolaris or V. neocaledonica ; however, the descriptions in the original publications clearly belong to V. bicolor .

2. The name V. leucoxylon Blanco (1837) may refer to this species. The illustrative specimen for V. leucoxylon selected by Merrill (1918) in his Species Blancoanae series is V. bicolor . The name is already occupied by V. leucoxylon L.f (1782); therefore, Blanco’s name is illegitimate.

3. Vitex bicolor can be confused with V. trifolia if there are no 5-foliolate leaves in the herbarium specimen ( Fig. 6b ). However, it can be distinguished by its ovate to ovate-lanceolate terminal leaflet with a cuneate base and a distinct petiolule as opposed to V. trifolia that has an obovate or oblanceolate terminal leaflet with an attenuate base, sessile or very shortly petiolulate.

Figures

Map 3 Natural distribution of Vitex bicolor Willd.

Fig. 5 Vitex bicolor Willd. a. Habit; b. habit; c. habit; d. infructescence; e. upper and lower leaf surface; f. inflorescence; g. inflorescence, detail (a: Awa & Othman S 48714; b, g: Ismael IS 472; c: Loher 4433; d: Adaire 161; e: Sengun aus 3; all K). — Photos by Seda Sengun.

Fig. 6 Vitex bicolor Willd. a. Habitat; b. old inflorescence; c. leaves; d. detail of branching pattern. — Photos by R. de Kok.