Specimen : Wild
Habitat : Dry thickets, open grasslands, roadsides, wastelands
Local name : Lagundi
Trade name : Five-leaved chaste tree
Botanical name : Vitex negundo
Family : Lamiaceae
Specimen height : 3-4 meters
Fruiting season : Possibly year round
Traits : Aromatic; Deciduous to semi-deciduous; Drought tolerant; Fast growing; Large shrub to small tree; Much-branched; Tolerant of infertile soil
Recommendations : Agroforestry; Backyards; Erosion control; Home gardens; Honey plant; Living fence; Ornamental; Plantations; Potted; Pioneer species for reforestation purpose; Nurse tree; Urban greening; Wildcrafting
Used for : Leaves and roots as medicinal tea; Fruits, leaves, bark and roots have various applications in traditional medicine; Essential oil obtained from the leaves; Leaves used in baths and as insectifuge; Seeds may be substituted for pepper, may be ground into an edible flour or may be eaten boiled; Branches and twigs used for basketry and handicraft weaving; Fuelwood
Native range : East & Southern Africa, India, East Asia, Southeast Asia (including the Philippines) to Western Polynesia
National conservation status : Not threatened in the Philippines
Threat : Clearing of woodlands for agricultural, commercial or residential use
Further reading :
Bureau of Plant Industry (Medicinal Plants) http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publications/mp/pdf/l/lagundi.pdf
Plants For A Future - Vitex negundo http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Vitex+negundo
World Agroforestry Centre http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Products/AFDbases/af/asp/SpeciesInfo.asp?SpID=18042 (3344)