Common Name: Molave

General Information

Vitex parviflora is a medium sized deciduous tree with an open wide-spreading crown; it usually grows up to 30 metres tall, occasionally to 38 metres[, ]. The bole is up to 125cm in diameter and sometimes buttressed[]. The bole can be branchless for up to 20 metres, though it is often much shorter and crooked[].
Vitex parviflora is the dominant timber species in monsoon forest in the Philippines, where it is harvested from the wild for its wood on a large scale[]. The tree also has a range of local medicinal uses and is used as a dye. It is often grown in plantations as a timber crop, and has also been recommended asa shelterbelt tree and for use in reforestation projects.
Overexploitation of the highly prized timber, together with habitat destruction, has led to the reduction of molave forests. However, given the large extent of occurrence and the number of known localities, and that it can grow in secondary vegetation, the plant is currently classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southeast Asia - Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines.

Habitat

Well-drained limestone soils in monsoon forest at low elevations and along sea coasts[, ]. Common in both secondary and open primary forests at elevations up to 700 metres[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Least Concern
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland tropics, found at elevations up to 1,000 metres in areas with a distinct dry season[]. It is found in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 22 - 32°c, and the mean annual rainfall is 750 - 2,600mm[].
Tolerant of a wide range of soils but occurs mostly on dry limestone soils[]..
The plant has escaped from cultivation in some areas and, in at least one instance, has become invasive[].
A slow-growing tree, mean annual height increase of 0.4- 1metre and diameter increase of 0.7 - 1cm respectively have been recorded[, ].
Planted trees start flowering 5 - 6 years after planting[].
Plantations for wildling production are spaced 2 x 6metres[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bark and wood are used medicinally as a styptic, emetic, antitoxic and to treat jaundice and dropsy[, ]. A decoction of the wood is used as an emetic to counter poisons[]. A decoction of the bark is used to treat diarrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The species has been suggested for the Philippines as a tall tree in shelterbelts[, ]. Some plantations have been established in reforestation schemes in the country[, ].

Other Uses

A yellow resin exudes when the wood is treated with lime[].

When wood shavings are soaked in water a yellow extract is obtained[].

The timber is extremely hard, very strong and durable[, , ]. It is resistant to fungal, termite and Lyctus beetle attack, but not to marine borers[]. The wood often takes on a yellowish-green or greenish-brown tint when boiled in water[]. It is used for high-grade construction, interior finishing, flooring, house building, ship building, agricultural implements, carving etc[, , ].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - removing the pericarp and pre-soaking the seed in hot water at about 70 C may enhance the germination rate up to 70%[]. Seed starts to germinate 10 - 40 days after sowing[].

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