Vitex mombassae
Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (8)
Photo: Bart Wursten
By road to Hwange NP, Main Camp.
Photo: Bart Wursten
By road to Hwange NP, Main Camp.
Drawing: Patricia Bingham
Protea Hill Farm
Mar 2008
Photo: Mike Bingham
Bark
Miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Oct 2022
Photo: Nick Wightman
Leaf
Miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Oct 2022
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flower
Miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Oct 2022
Photo: Nick Wightman
Flower
Miombo woodland
Kipemba area, Kalumbila Distr.
Oct 2022
Photo: Nick Wightman
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Vitex flavescens Rolfe var. parviflora Gibbs Vitex pooara sensu K. Coates Palgrave |
| Common names: | Smelly-berry fingerleaf (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Shrub or sometimes a small tree. Bark grey to brown, peeling in strips; growing tips densely covered in orange-tawny hairs. Leaves aromatic when crushed, essentially 5-foliolate but often with outer leaflets deformed or not developed and appearing 3-foliolate. Central leaflet elliptic to somewhat obovate, usually c. 6 × 4 cm but sometimes larger, yellowish-green, with short soft hairs above, more densely hairy below; margin entire; petiolules usually absent, rarely very short on the central leaflet. Petiole 4-9 cm long, with soft tawny hairs. Flowers in few-flowered, axillary heads, obscurely 2-lipped, pale blue or mauve and white to cream; calyx lobes and stalks covered in long tawny hairs. Fruit ellipsoid to almost round, c. 2 × 1.5 cm, fleshy, dark-brown to black, held in the enlarged calyx. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | mombassae: of Mombassa on the Kenyan coast, where the type specimen was found |
| Habitat: | Occurring in deciduous woodland and thickets on Kalahari sand but also on rocky outcrops. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | Oct - Jan |
| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Limpopo, South Africa |
| FZ divisions: | N,Z,T,MS,M |
| Growth form(s): | Tree, shrub over 2 m. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Saturday 13 February 2010 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 859. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 58. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 37. Curtis, B.A. & Mannheimer, C.A. (2005). Tree Atlas of Namibia National Botanic Research Institute, Windhoek Page 571. Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 272. Fernandes, R. (2005). Lamiaceae (subfamilies: Viticoideae and Ajugoideae) Flora Zambesiaca 8(7) Pages 87 - 89. (Includes a picture). 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. Meerts, P. & Hasson, M. (2016). Arbres et arbustes du Haut-Katanga Jardin Botanique Meise, Belgique Page 337. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 80. also as Vitex pooara Smith, P. & Allen, Q. (2004). Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Miombo Woodlands Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ISBN 1 84246 073 0 Pages 82 - 84. (Includes a picture). Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 184. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 216. |
Other sources of information about Vitex mombassae:
Our websites:
Flora of Botswana: Vitex mombassaeFlora of Burundi: Vitex mombassae
Flora of Caprivi: Vitex mombassae
Flora of the DRC: Vitex mombassae
Flora of Malawi: Vitex mombassae
Flora of Zambia: Vitex mombassae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Vitex mombassae
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Vitex mombassaeAfrican Plant Database: Vitex mombassae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Vitex mombassae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Vitex mombassae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Vitex mombassae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Vitex mombassae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Vitex mombassae
JSTOR Plant Science: Vitex mombassae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Vitex mombassae
Plants of the World Online: Vitex mombassae
Tropicos: Vitex mombassae
Wikipedia: Vitex mombassae