Lamiaceae (Verbenaceae)

Vitex lignum-vitae

(Synonym: Premna lignum-vitae)

LIGNUM-VITAE, YELLOW HOLLYWOOD, SATINWOOD

Medium-sized to large tree to 30 m high, trunk often fluted and flanged at base; bark light brown, finely fissured longitudinally, shedding in small corky flakes. Buds and young stems hairy and with numerous minute yellow surface glands, stems becoming hairless; stipules absent.

Leaves 1-foliolate, opposite and on new growth decussate; lamina oblanceolate, obovate to rhombic or elliptic, 5–14 cm long, 2.5–4 cm wide, apex tapered to a point, base gradually attenuate, margins entire on adult trees, but with 1–5 sharp angles or lobes on saplings and sucker leaves, both surfaces glossy and hairless, young leaves with many minute yellow surface glands, becoming sparse or absent with age; pinnately veined with 9–13 pairs of lateral veins, impressed and prominent on upper surface, raised and prominent on lower surface; domatia present as hairy or hairless pits in vein angles on lower surface and as bumps on upper surface; translucent dots yellowish, very small, obscure or sometimes distinct; petiole 15–25 mm long, with a swelling or joint at apex. Dried leaves turn black.

Inflorescences axillary, few-flowered axillary dichasial cymes, 2–8 cm long; pedicels 1–10 mm long. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous; calyx tubular, 3–4 mm long and persistent in fruit; corolla 9–13 mm long, 2-lipped and 4-lobed, dusky pink to mauve or purple to reddish; stamens 4, didynamous, strongly exserted and much longer than corolla; ovary superior, 4-locular and 4-lobed, style as long as stamens, stigma bilobed.

Fruit fleshy, a drupe, ± globose, 8–14 mm diam., red, with persistent calyx at base; stone solitary, 4-locular, seeds usually 4.

Illustration of leaves & fruit

Habitat and Distribution:

In STRf and DRf or rarely VTs; north from the upper Richmond River, N.S.W., to Mt Lewis, N Qld, and west to the Cadarga district (SW of Mundubbera), Qld; also New Guinea.

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