About Vitex trifolia L.
Vitex trifolia L. is a large coastal shrub or small tree that grows less than 5 meters tall. Its stems are covered in soft, tomentose hairs. Leaves are arranged oppositely along stems, and are usually compound, made up of three linear leaflets that measure between 1 and 12 centimeters long. The upper surface of each leaf is green, while the lower surface is grayish green. Flowers grow in panicles or clusters that reach up to 18 centimeters in length. Each individual flower has a purple to violet, two-lipped corolla around 5 millimeters long. Its stamens form two pairs, and it has a superior ovary that develops above the corolla. Fleshy fruits of this species are around 6 millimeters in diameter, and each fruit contains four small black seeds. Vitex trifolia occurs naturally along coastlines, ranging from tropical East Africa eastward to French Polynesia. In traditional medicine, the leaves are used to treat female health ailments in the Cook Islands, and to reduce fever in Samoa. In Samoa, dried leaves of this species are also burned to repel mosquitoes.
