Common Name:

General Information

Vitex madiensis is a shrub or small tree reaching not much more than 5 metres tall[]. The plant sometimes has a more herbaceous habit, producing annual stems up to 1.5 metres long from a massive underground woody rootstock[].
The edible fruit is exceptionally popular within the plants native range - it is commonly harvested from the wild for local use and is also widely sold in local markets[]. An essential oil in the leaves has been recommended for commercial exploitation[]. Although not usually cultivated, the plant is often protected when land is cleared for cultivation[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Somalia, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Habitat

Combretum, Terminalia and Brachystegia woodland and flood pans with Brachystegia; grassland, wooded grassland or dense woodlands; at elevations from 1,000 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	4.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Semi-cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Sweet and mealy[]. The thin pulp clings to the stone, which contains 3 to 4 seeds[]. The purple-black fruit is about the size of an olive[]. The oblong-rounded fruit is about 25mm long and 10 - 20mm wide[].

Medicinal

The leaves and roots have medicinal uses[].

Bark extracts are used in the treatment of skin diseases and toothache[].

Other Uses

The leaves yield an essential oil of such sweet and penetrating fragrance that it has been recommended for commercial development[].

The branches are used as chew sticks for maintaining the health of teeth and gums[].

The wood is used for fuel and to make charcoal[].

Propagation

Seed -

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