Vitex ferruginea Schumach. & Thonn.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along road from Chironde Camp to Mungari Airstrip, Coutada 12

Photo: Bart Wursten
Ndzou camp area, Moribane Forest

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Synonyms:	subsp. amboniensis (Gürke) Verdc. Vitex amboniensis Gürke Vitex swynnertonii S. Moore
Common names:	Plum fingerleaf (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Usually a scrambling, multi-stemmed shrub. Bark grey to brown, finely striated. Leaves 3-5-foliolate, lower most leaflets often undeveloped. Leaflets elliptic to obovate, dark green, somewhat leathery, hairless above, with hairtuft domatia below in the axils of conspicuous veins; margin entire or toothed in apical half; petiole with a groove along the top. Flowers with a white corolla tube and mauve-blue lobes and lip, scented. Fruit subspherical to ellipsoid, up to 2 cm long, fleshy, purple-black, frilled at the base by the persistent calyx.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	ferruginea: rusty-brown in colour
Habitat:	On sandy soils in deciduous woodland and along streambanks, often among rocks.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Oct - Feb
Worldwide distribution:	Tropical Africa southwards to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS,GI,M
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
Content last updated:	Saturday 27 April 2019
Literature:	Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 860. (Includes a picture). Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 982. 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 271. As Vitex amboniensis Fernandes, R. (2005). Lamiaceae (subfamilies: Viticoideae and Ajugoideae) Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 81 - 82. 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. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 71. Schmidt, E., Lötter, M. & McCleland, W. (2002). Trees and shrubs of Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park Jacana, Johannesburg, South Africa Pages 580 - 581. as subsp. amboniensis (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (1997). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa. Struik, South Africa Pages 476 - 477. as subsp. amboniensis (Includes a picture). Van Wyk, B. & Van Wyk, P. (2013). Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa (Second edition) Struik, South Africa Pages 558 - 559. (Includes a picture).

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Flora of Burundi: Vitex ferruginea
Flora of Zambia: Vitex ferruginea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Vitex ferruginea

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Vitex ferruginea
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Vitex ferruginea
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Vitex ferruginea
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Vitex ferruginea
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Vitex ferruginea
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Vitex ferruginea
JSTOR Plant Science: Vitex ferruginea
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Vitex ferruginea
Plants of the World Online: Vitex ferruginea
Tropicos: Vitex ferruginea
Wikipedia: Vitex ferruginea