| Etymology | Genus | An ancient name used by Pliny possibly for the Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Leaf with three leaflets | |
| Family | Lamiaceae | |
| Synonyms | Poinciana regia Hook. | |
| Common Names | Hand of Mary | |
| Status | Exotic: Casual | |
| Form | Shrub | |
| Native Distribution | Temperate and tropical Asia, Australia, and Pacific Islands | |
Diagnostics:
Vitex trifolia is a shrub commonly seen cultivated in gardens and occasionally growing wild. It can be identified from its trifoliate leaves, with their leaflets sessile (except for the mid leaflet which has a hardly noticeable stalk). The colour of the leaves ais smokey green on top, and white underneath.
Interesting Facts:
The Hand of Mary has been recorded from Singapore as early as 1892 (Singapore Herbarium Online, 2012). It was described as a weed in gardens and villages at coastal areas (Keng et al., 1998).
Shrubby form of the Hand of Mary.
Leaf arrangement
Trifoliate and oppositely arranged leaves.
Whitish underside.
Flowers.
Fruits.
References
Keng H, SC Chin & HTW Tan. (1998) The Concise Flora of Singapore. Volume II: Monocotyledons. Singapore University Press, Singapore. 215 pp.Singapore Herbarium Online. (2012) Singapore Herbarium Online. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford. http://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk. Accessed on 14-Jun-2014.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2014-06-14 / Modified: 2017-12-25
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