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Conservation Status
IUCN: not evaluated
USFWS: None
Family: LAMIACEAE Genus: Vitex Species: cofassus Species Author: Reinw. ex Blume Vernacular: Bars, Beokel
Vitex cofassus is a large canopy tree up to 33 m high with mostly smooth gray bark. Leaves have a single blade 12.0-22.0 cm x 10.0 cm attached at the leaf stalk (petiole). The flowers are small (4.0-10.0 mm long) and pale purple with darker purple spots. The fruits are 10.0-12.0 mm long, and 10.0 mm diameter and green, ripening juicy gray or black with 1-4 seeds.
(Guide to trees of Papau New Guinea http://www.pngplants.org/PNGtrees/TreeDescriptions/Vitex_cofassus_Reinw_ex_Blume.html)
Vitex is a large genus or approximately 250 species found throughout the tropics. Other species are known to be used in various medical applications and as an insect repellent.
(Staples, G. W. and D. R. Herbst. 2005. A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and other tropical places. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawai`i.)
This tree is native to New Guinea and other Pacific Islands including Belau.
This tree is widely used as a hardwood in construction. A number of conservation organizations (i.e. The Rainforest Information Center http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/) list it among numerous tropical hardwoods to avoid purchasing for fear of overharvesting in the wild.
We currently have 5 herbarium specimens for Vitex cofassus in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
