Vitex djumaensis De Wild.

Meerts, Pierre, 2018, Synopsis of the genus Vitex (Lamiaceae) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Plant Ecology and Evolution 151 (3), pp. 380-392 : 385

7. Vitex djumaensis De Wild.

( De Wildeman 1909: 128); Pieper (1928: 70); Moldenke (1955b: 321); Lebrun & Stork (1997: 524); Cabral (2013: 199).

– Type: D.R. Congo, Vallée de la Djuma, Jul. 1902, Gentil s.n. (lecto-: BR barcode BR0000008905543 designated by Cabral (2013) ; isolecto-: BR barcode BR00000089055292) .

Asmall tree. Leaves in whorls of 3. Leaf glabrous except for ciliate domatia; leaflets 5; petiolules 3–17 mm; lamina coriaceous, acute or shortly acuminate. Inflorescence of dichasia; peduncle short (<2 cm), calyx 2 mm, ovary hairy. Fruit small c. 9 × 7 mm.

Distribution – Endemic to D.R. Congo.

Note – V. djumaensis is related to Vitex doniana (glabrous leaves, petiolulate leaflets, pubescent ovary). It has an original combination of traits, i.e. ternate leaves, leaflets with few secondary veins (6–10 pairs), small fruit, and ciliate domatia. Vitex djumaensis is endemic to southern D.R Congo. It is a poorly known taxon. All the specimens cited by Moldenke (1955b) are misidentifications. New specimens have been found, from Bas-Congo, Kasaï and W Katanga, which had been previously misidentified as V. doniana .