Vitex peduncularis

 

Tree, 7-18 m high; stem and branches slender, obtusely 4-angular or subterete; young parts pubescent, glabrous when mature; nodes annulate; internodes 2.5-6 cm long. Leaves usually 3, rarely 4-foliolate; petioles flattened, slender, 5-10 cm long, pubescent; leaflets lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or narrow-elliptic, acuminate or attenuate at base, entire somewhat undulate along margins, acuminate at apex; middle leaflets 10-20 x 3-5 cm; petiolules 0.5-1.5 cm long; lateral leaflets 8.5-15 x 3-4 cm; petiolules 0.5-1 cm long; chartaceous, subglabrous or glabrous above, with dense minute rounded yellow resinous glands beneath; lateral nerves 18-22 pairs, distinct beneath. Panicles axillary, 20-28 cm long; peduncles flattened, slender, 6.5-14 cm long, densely pubescent; bracts linear, ca 1 mm, pubescent. Flowers numerous; pedicels 1-2 mm long. Calyx campanulate, minutely 5-toothed with minute rounded yellow glands outside. Corolla infundibular, 2-lipped, 5-lobed, yellow or cream-coloured; upper lip 2-lobed; lobes ovate, ca 1 mm long; lower lip 3-lobed; midlobe suborbicular or ovate, entire, obtuse, ca 2 mm long; lateral lobes oblong, acute, ca 1.2 x 1 mm; tube narrow, ca 2 x 2 mm, grey-pubescent with rounded resinous glands outside. Stamens 4, didynamous; filaments slender, 2-3 mm long, included, sparsely hairy at base; anthers oblong, ca 0.7 mm, divaricate, basifixed. Ovary globose, ca 1 mm, glabrous; style stout, ca 3 mm long; stigma 2-lobed. Drupes globose, ca 0.7 cm, red; fruiting-calyx platelliform, ca 1 cm across, membranous, glabrous.

Flowering and fruiting: February-April
Moist deciduous forests near streams
Indo-Malesia

 Images by Raman Arunachalam (Inserted by Bhagyashri Ranade)

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Trees of Lalbagh, Bangalore – RA – Vitex peduncularis – White Chaste Tree:

Trees 5-15 m tall. Branchlets sparsely pubescent when young, glabrescent.
Leaves 3-foliolate; petiole 4-7 cm; petiolules 5-12 mm; leaflets broadly lanceolate to oblong, glabrous, abaxially densely glandular, base cuneate and slightly oblique, margin entire or slightly undulate and ciliate, apex acuminate to acute; central leaflet 10-15 X 4-5 cm. Thyrses 7-17 cm; bracts linear, early deciduous. Calyx 1.8-2.5 cm, outside pubescent and glandular, inside glabrous. Corolla white, outside puberulent, lower lip pilose inside. Stamens included; filaments glabrous. Ovary glabrous. Fruiting calyx minutely 5-dentate to subtruncate. Fruit black, subglobose, ca. 7 mm in diam., with longitudinal veins when dry. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
(Reference: Flora of China)

 
 
 
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