Common Name:

General Information

Vitex floridula is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing up to 20 metres tall with a straight bole that can be 100cm in diameter[].
The trees are sometimes harvested from the wild for the local use of their timber.
Vitex floridula is exploited for use as a timber. It grows in lowland forest and there is a decline in area of occupancy and extent of occurrence as well as loss of quality of habitat. Some of the locations may have been lost due to habitat loss. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2021)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern S. America - Colombia; Central America - Panama.

Habitat

Lowland forests[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Near Threatened
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The heartwood is a light brown, the sapwood is thick, nearly white. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, brittle, cross and fine grained, easily worked, taking a fairly good polish, and said to be durable in contact with the soil[]. It is used locally in construction[].
We have no more information on the wood for this species. However, we have a general description for the wood of S. American species of this genus, which is as follows:-
The heartwood is variable according to the species, ranging from yellowish-brown through deep brown, olive-green or olive-brown; it is usually not sharply demarcated from the whitish, yellow, or pale brown sapwood. The texture is rather fine to moderately coarse; the grain straight, sometimes irregular; lustre ranges from low to high; there is no distinctive odour or taste. A silica content of 0.76% is reported. Depending on the species, durability varies from moderately durable to very durable when exposed to a white-rot and brown-rot fungus. Actual field exposures show some species as durable and others as susceptible to attack by decay fungi and insects. Reports are also variable on seasoning, material from Panama had a moderate drying rate and no appreciable defects. The wood is easy to work with both hand and machine tools, though there is some tearing if grain is irregular; it takes a high polish. It is used for purposes such as furniture, millwork, veneer and plywood, general carpentry, mallet heads, chisel handles and flooring[].

Propagation

Seed -

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