Vitex Payos

Vitex payos (Lour.) Merr.
Verbenaceae
LOCAL NAMES
Swahili (mfuu,mfufu,mfudu)
BOTANIC DESCRIPTION
Vitex payos is a small tree, 2-10 m tall; branches stiff, crown rounded;
bark brown or grey-brown, deeply fissured, stems densely pale
ferruginous woolly, hairy becoming glabrous, sometimes thick and corky
with prominent large petiole scars.
Leaflets (3-)5-foliolate, elliptic to obovate, 3-19 cm long, 2-10 cm wide, Vitex payos (Patrick Maundu)
broadly rounded or obovate at the apex, rarely emarginated, cuneate at
base, roughly pubescent above, densely floccuse velvety beneath; petiole
6-15 cm long.
Flower cymes few, many-flowered, axillary, sometimes almost globose, 6-

15 cm long, peduncle 2.5-10 cm long, bracts linear, 8-20 mm long, 5-10
mm wide, projecting in very young inflorescences. Calyx abconical,
densely ferruginous, pubescent, tube 2.3-3 mm long. Corolla fragrant,
white, blue or mauve, tube 3-4 mm long, hairy outside.
Fruit black, oblong or sub-globose, 2-2.5 cm long, 1.4-2.4 cm wide, shiny, Vitex payos fruits (Patrick Maundu)
glabrous. Calycine cup dark, 1-2 cm high, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, broadly
crenate, fruiting pedicel 2-5 mm long.
BIOLOGY
Flowering takes place during the rainy season (September-December),
while fruit ripening occurs during the dry season (April-June). Vitex
species generally exhibit hermaphroditism, where both functional male
and female organs are in the same flower (Lars Schmidt, 2000).
Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 1 of 5

Verbenaceae
ECOLOGY
V. payos is a species of hot, low and semi-arid places with high water table. In more arid zones it is found near rock
outcrops. The most commonly associated tree species are Acacia polyacantha, Dalbergia melanoxylon, Brachystegia
spiciformis etc.
BIOPHYSICAL LIMITS
Altitude: 0-1 600 m
Mean annual temperature:
Mean annual rainfall: 650-850 mm
Soil type: V. payos often grows in sandy soils, less often clay red and rocky ones.
DOCUMENTED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Native: Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Exotic:
Native range
Exotic range
The map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does neither
suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological zone within that country,
nor that the species can not be planted in other countries than those depicted. Since
some tree species are invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures that apply to
your planting site.

The map above shows countries where the species has been planted. It does neither
suggest that the species can be planted in every ecological zone within that country,
nor that the species can not be planted in other countries than those depicted. Since
Vitex (Lour.)
payossome tree species are invasive, you need to follow biosafety procedures Merr.
that apply to
your planting site. Verbenaceae
PRODUCTS
Food: The ripe fruit contains a black, mealy and sweet pulp.
Fodder: Leaves are used as fodder.
Fuel: The tree is used for fuel.
Timber: Wood is very hard and is used for making wooden spoons and poles.
Medicine: V. payos is used as medicine for stomachache.
SERVICES
Soil improver: The tree improves the soil through leaf fall.

Verbenaceae
TREE MANAGEMENT
Partial clearing of vegetation is essential before planting out to open up space. Tending should include spot weeding
and slashing until the crop is well established. The tree coppices well.
GERMPLASM MANAGEMENT
Seed germination is hindered by the hard seed coat. This is normally broken by annual fires in the wild.

Verbenaceae
FURTHER READNG
Buwalda, AO. Et al 1997. Indigenous miombo fruit trees: health and wealth for the Sukuma people. Agroforestry Today.
9(3): 23-25.
Maundu PM et al. 1999. Traditional food plants of Kenya. National Museums of Kenya.
Nyamutowa, E.and Mushonga, J.N. 1995. Improvement and conservation of potential fruit crops of Zimbabwe. In:
Genetic Resources and Utilization of Underutilized Crops in Southern and Eastern Africa (Anthony, K.; Haq, N. and
Cilliers, B. eds.) pp. 165-171
Rukuni D. et al. 1998. Selecting Indigenous Trees for Domestication in Southern Africa: priority setting with farmers in
Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Maghembe, J.A. et al eds). pp. 72-94
SUGGESTED CITATION
Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree Database:a tree reference and selection guide
version 4.0 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp)

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Vitex payos (Lour.) Merr.

Flower cymes few, many-flowered, axillary, sometimes almost globose, 6-

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 1 of 5

DOCUMENTED SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 2 of 5

Fodder: Leaves are used as fodder.

Fuel: The tree is used for fuel.

Medicine: V. payos is used as medicine for stomachache.

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 3 of 5

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 4 of 5

Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) Page 5 of 5

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