Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Vitex trifolia
L., Lamiaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 9 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Vitex trifolia)

Other Latin names:  Vitex agnus-castus var. javanica; Vitex agnus-castus var. subtrisecta; Vitex agnus-castus var. trifolia Kurz; Vitex benthamiana Domin; Vitex bicolor Willd.; Vitex indica Mill.; Vitex integerrima Mill.; Vitex iriomotensis Ohwi; Vitex langundi W. G. Maxwell; Vitex negundo var. bicolor (Willd.) H. J. Lam; Vitex negundo var. philippinensis Moldenke; Vitex neocaledonica Gand.; Vitex paniculata Lam.; Vitex petiolaris Domin; Vitex rotundifolia f. heterophylla (Makino ex H Hara) Kitam; Vitex rotundifolia var. heterophylla Makino ex H. Hara; Vitex triphylla Royle; Vitex variifolia Salisb.; Vitis triphylla Noronha

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Arabian lilac, Indian three-leaf vitex, Indian wild pepper, Indian-privet, beach vitex, blue vitex, hand-of-Mary, simple-leaf chastetree, vitex

French: lilas de Perse

Hawaiian: kolokolo-kahakai, pōlinalina, polinalina

Niuean: lala sea

Philippine: lagundíng dágat

Samoan: namulega

Unknown: lala, lala tahi, namulega, rara

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  Vitex (genus): "Trees or shrubs, often aromatic. Lvs opposite, usu palmately compound (rarely simple); lflts 3-8, entire or toothed. Infl of terminal or axillary cymes, either simple or arranged in panicles or thyrses. Flws usu small; cal truncate or 5-toothed, enlarged in frt; cor tubular to funnel-shaped, blue-purple, white, or yellow, tube often curved, limb 5-lobed and 2-lipped; stam 4, in 2 unequal pairs, usu projecting. Frt a fleshy drupe, cupped by persisten cal, containing hard, 4-celled stone. Seed 1 per cell." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 567)

Vitex trifolia: "Mounding shrub 6-20' tall, aromatic; bran drooping. Lvs petiolate, simple or usu compound; lflts 3, sessile, oval, broadly elliptic, or obovate, underside whitish-velvety, both ends tapering. Infl an erect terminal panicle. Flw cal bell-shaped; cor blue to purple, 0.3" long, limb 0.2" ⌀. Frt globose or ovoid, ca 0.25" ⌀, blue or black. . . . The foliage is strongly aromatic, especially when cut. . . . Vitex trifolia is an extremely variable species with several named varieties.310" (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Vitex trifolia L. var. bicolor (Willdenow) Moldenke: "Shrub or small tree up to 3 m. tall, twigs densely tomentose. Leaves opposite, mostly palmately five-compound, leaflets elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, base acute, lateral leaflets smaller than term in alone, up to 10 cm. long and 3 cm. wide, pinnately nerved, dark above, lower surface densely white-tomentose. Flowers about 5 mm. long, lilac or lavender, short-pedicellate, in large, branching, axillary or terminal, tomentose, paniculate clusters." (Plants of Tonga, p. 232)

Habitat/ecology:  in cultivation: "Blue vitex [PIER ed.: Vitex trifolia] is tough and easy to grow. It thrives in sand or poor soil, prefers full sun, and tolerates hot, dry conditions as well as salt spray if planted back from the beach. It should be watered well until established; at that point watering can cease. Hdeges must be trimmed regularly and foundation plantings pruned to keep them within bouds; these fast-growing plants become tree-sized if neglected." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

On Ta'u (American Samoa): "Occasional on littoral strand and coastal scrubby vegetation, reported only near sea level." (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

"Seashore." (Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 72.)

Propagation:  "Blue vitex [PIER ed.: Vitex trifolia] is easily propagated from tip cuttings or seed." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Native range:  "Native from Madagascar and eastern South Africa throughout Asia, New Guinea, northern Australia, and the Pacific. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

". . .ranging from tropical east Africa to the Marquesas." (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

"Occasional throughout Tonga. From eastern Africa and India through Malaysia to Polynesia." (presumed by PIER to be referring to native range; Plants of Tonga, p. 232)

"East Africa to Oceania." (Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 72.)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
American Samoa
Manu‘a Islands
Ta‘u Island native
Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 63)
Vouchers cited: Garber 611; Yuncker 9104; Whistler 1326, 7551, 7897. "Occasional
American Samoa
Manu‘a Islands
Ta‘u Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands
Rarotonga Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia
Chuuk Islands
Satawan Atoll   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia
Pohnpei Islands
Pohnpei Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Kaua‘i Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (2018)
accessed 20180525; photos by starrenvironmental.com
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
O‘ahu Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Caledonia
New Caledonia Archipelago
New Caledonia (island)   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Niue
Niue
Niue Island possibly native
cultivated
Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 216)
V. t. var. bicolor; vouchers cited: CHR 169877, CHR 169878; RE: Vitex trifolia var. bicolor: "CHR 169178 was from a plant in the middle of Avasele and may have been planted. A few plants were seen in thickets on the Lower Terrace near Makapu Point and in thickets on the edge of fernland near the Avasele to Vaiea road. Probably Vitext trifolia var. bicolor is scattered in similar habitats elsewhere on Niue, and it is not possible to say if it was once much commoner. It is generally thought to be indigenous in this part of the Pacific, and it may be so on Niue." (Sykes, 1970, p. 216)
Pacific
Pacific
Oceania   Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)
Pacific
Pacific
Polynesia   Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Palau
Palau (Belau ) (main island group)
Koror (Oreor) Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Philippines
Philippine Islands
Philippine Islands cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (2018)
accessed 20180525, see also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitex_trifolia_Blanco1.226-cropped.jpg accessed 20180525 (plate from Flora de Filipinas [...] Gran edicion [...] [Atlas I], author: Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.)
Samoa
Samoa
Samoa   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga
Ha‘apai Group
Nomuka Island native
Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Voucher cited: Yuncker 15801; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Tonga
Tonga Islands
Tonga Islands native
Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
"Occasional throughout Tonga."
Tonga
Tonga Islands
Tonga Islands   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga
Tongatapu Group
Tongatapu Island native
Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Voucher cited: Yuncker 15011; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Tonga
Vava‘u Group
Vava‘u Island native
Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Source: Crosby; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Ambrym Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Êpi Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Erromango Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Espirito Santo Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Pentecôte (Pentacost) Island   Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu
New Hebrides Islands
Vanuatu (Republic of)   Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Malaysia
Malaysia
Malaysia (country of)   Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Thailand
Thailand
Thailand (Kingdom of) cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (2018)
accessed 20180525; (at least) one photo "Photographed at the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (Chiang Mai Province, Thailand)"
Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Seychelles
Seychelles Islands
Seychelles Islands introduced
Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)
Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Africa
Africa
Africa (eastern)   Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Africa
Africa
Africa (eastern)   Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)
India
India
India (Republic of)   Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
India
India
India (Republic of) cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (2018)
accessed 20180525; (at least) one photo taken in India (per link to https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/6679334155/ accessed 20180525; see also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitex_trifolia_01.JPG accessed 20180525)
United States (continental except west coast)
United States (other states)
USA (Florida) cultivated
Wikimedia Commons (2018)
accessed 20180525; photos by starrenvironmental.com

Comments:  ". . .V[itex]. trifolia is now widely cultivated in the tropics as a hedge plant." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

"[Vitex trifolia var. trisecta] has naturalised in coastal dunes [in one area of Western Australia]" (Western Weeds, p. 166)

present in Hawaii (Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems in Hawaii, p. 221; Neal 1965 cited in Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 70)

used for various purposes in "[m]ost Pacific Islands," including Marshall Islands, Melanesia, Nauru, and Hawaii (Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands, p. 44, 58)

cultivated in Hawaii as a hedge plant "as well as for windbreaks, foundation plantings, and screening oceanfront property from the beach." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Vitex trifolia, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 12 SEP 2017 and was last updated on 25 MAY 2018.