Vitex keniensis | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Vitex |
Species: | V. keniensis |
Binomial name | |
Vitex keniensis Turrill | |
Vitex keniensis (also called Meru oak) is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae.
It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a magnificent tree when mature, being one of the largest trees that are native to Kenya. Due to its use as a source of wood that is both durable and has an attractive grain it has been severely over-exploited and is now very rare.
Vitex keniensis has a tall, straight trunk and light green leaves with five leaflets arranged in a vaguely star-like formation. Each leaflet can be up to 25 cm long with a prominent midrib.
Young trees are particularly susceptible to a disease of the leaves that produces "bubbles" all over the upper surface of the leaves but which does not appear to affect the growth of the tree.
Dalbergia melanoxylon in french Granadille d'Afrique is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea, to southern regions of Tanzania to Mozambique and south to the north-eastern parts of South Africa. The tree is an important timber species in its native areas; it is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, sculptures vinyago in Swahili language and fine furnitures. Populations and genomic resources for genetic biodiversity maintenance in parts of its native range are threatened by overharvesting due to poor or absent conservation planning and by the species' low germination rates.
Vitex lucens, or pūriri, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand.
Vitex is a genus of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae. It has about 250 species. Common names include chaste tree or chastetree, traditionally referring to V. agnus-castus, but often applied to other species, as well.
Vitex trifolia, the simpleleaf chastetree, is a large coastal shrub or small tree.
Dendrosenecio keniodendron or giant groundsel is a species of the genus Dendrosenecio of the large family Asteraceae and is one of the several species of giant groundsels endemic to the high altitudes of the Afrotropics, including Dendrosenecio johnstonii (Senecio battiscombei) occurring on Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Aberdare Mountains, Dendrosenecio keniensis occurring the lower alpine zone of Mount Kenya and D. keniodendron occurring in higher and drier sites on Mount Kenya. The giant rosette plants, sometimes 6 metres (20 ft) tall, often grow in even-sized stands, with different understory communities under different-aged stands.
Dendrosenecio keniensis is one of the giant groundsels endemic the higher altitudes of Mount Kenya. It is in the family Asteraceae and the genus Dendrosenecio. Dendrosenecio keniodendron occurs the upper alpine zone of Mount Kenya and D. keniensis in the wetter areas of the lower alpine or the moorlands.
Newtonia paucijuga is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.
Pterocarpus dalbergioides, the Andaman padauk, Andaman redwood or East Indian mahogany, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is sometimes called "narra", but this is just a generic term used for any of several Pterocarpus species. It is native to the Andaman Islands.
Phrynobatrachus keniensis is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found widely in the highlands of Kenya. It is also recorded from Mount Meru in northern Tanzania, but this might represent a different species. Common names Kenya River frog and upland puddle frog have been coined for it.
Vitex parviflora is a species of plant in the family Verbenaceae, also known as smallflower chastetree or the molave tree. The name "molave" is from Spanish, derived from mulawin, the Tagalog word for the tree. It is also known as tugas in Visayan languages. It yields one of two woods from the same genus called molave wood, the other being Vitex cofassus.
Vitex negundo, commonly known as the Chinese chaste tree, five-leaved chaste tree, or horseshoe vitex, or nisinda is a large aromatic shrub with quadrangular, densely whitish, tomentose branchlets. It is widely used in folk medicine, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
Vitex pinnata is a tree of the family Lamiaceae. It is native to south and south east Asia. It grows slowly, ultimately reaching 20 metres in height with 1–3 m. circumference trunk. It features a grey-brown-yellow bark. Its leaves are scented.
The flora and fauna of Mount Kenya are diverse, due to the variation in altitude, rainfall, aspect and temperature. The mountain slopes can be divided into vegetation zones, with each zone having different dominant plant species. Although many plants on Mount Kenya have local names, here they are reported only with their English and scientific names.
Vachellia reficiens, commonly known as red-bark acacia, red thorn, false umbrella tree, or false umbrella thorn, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the pea family (Fabaceae) native to southern Africa, often growing in an upside-down cone shape and with a relatively flat crown.
Encephalartos natalensis, the Natal cycad or giant cycad, is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Qumbu and Tabankulu areas of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, and through most of KwaZulu-Natal. The number of mature individuals of this species is declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "near threatened".
Encephalartos tegulaneus, the Kenyan giant cycad, is a species of cycad endemic to Kenya. It occurs in Eastern Province near Embu, Kenya, and on the Matthews Range in Rift Valley Province.
Lygodactylus keniensis, also known as Parker's dwarf gecko or Kenya dwarf gecko, is a species of gecko found in northern Kenya, southern Somalia, southern Ethiopia, and eastern Uganda.
Aningeria adolfi-friederici is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae, a tall, tropical forest tree. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The specific name adolfi-friedericii was given in honour of Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, a German explorer in Africa. Its trade name muna is taken from Gĩkũyũ mũna.
Vitex thyrsiflora is a species of woody vine in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to tropical West and Central Africa. Its hollow stem is used as a home by an aggressive species of ant.
Ixora scheffleri is small to medium-sized tree species within the family Rubiaceae. It is among four Ixora species occurring in Africa than has a predominant tree habit. It has two infraspecifics, one of which is endangered, the Ixora scheffleri subsp. keniensis.