A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Vi7ex L
J. Adelaide Sot. Gard. 10(1): 31-79(1987) A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE GENUS VI7EX L. (VERBENACEAE)* IN AUSTRALIA Ahmad Abid Munir State Herbarium, Botanic Gardens, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000 Abstract A taxonomic revision of Vitex in Australia is presented. The following eight species are recognised: V. acuminata, V. bentlzamiana, V. glabrata, V. helogiton, V. melicopea, V. rotundifolia, V. trifolia and V. velutinifolia. V. velutinifolia (from Western Australia) is described as new. V. melicopea and V. helogiton are reinstated, with V. helogiton being recorded from Australia for the first time. V. rotundifolia is reinstated as the oldest valid name for the 1-foliolate species previously often named V. ovata, V. tnfolia var. ovata, V. &Oita var. unifoliolata, V. trifolia var. simplicifolia or V. trtfolia subsp. littoralis. V. tnfolia var, bicolor is placed in synonymy of V. trifolia var. trifolia. The following four species are typified: V. acuminata, V. benthamiana, V. helogiton and V. melicopea. A mnge of material of the non- endemic species was examined from Malesia. Affinities and distribution are considered for each species. A key to the species is provided and a detailed description of each species is supplemented by a habit sketch of a flowering branch and analytical drawings of the flower. Taxonomic History of the Genus The genus Vitex was described by Linnaeus (1753) with four species, V. agnus-castus, V trifolio, V. negundo and V. pinnata. The syntypes of the first named species came from Sicily and Naples, the second and third from India, and the fourth type from Ceylon. The genus was placed together with Clerodendrum, Gmelina and a few other genera of present Verbenaceae in "Didynamia Angiospermia", where it was retained by Murray (1774), Reichard (1778), Loureiro (1793), Schreber (1791), Gmelin (1792), Persoon (1797, 1807), Willdenow (1800), Link (1822), Lamarck & Poiret (1823), Sprengel (1825), Roxburgh (1832), Dietrich (1842) and a few others.
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