Vitex parviflora[2] is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae, also known as smallflower chastetree[3] or the molave tree. The name "molave" is from Spanish, derived from mulawin,[4] the Tagalog word for the tree.[5][6] It is also known as tugas in Visayan languages.[7][6] It yields one of two woods from the same genus called molave wood, the other being Vitex cofassus.

Vitex parviflora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Vitex
Species:
V. parviflora
Binomial name
Vitex parviflora

It is a native species in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.[8] It can also be found in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Asia.[8] It was reported to be an invasive species in Guam and Hawaii after it became naturalized in O’ahu and escaped from cultivation in Guam.[8] In Cuba, it is also considered as a possibly invasive species due to naturalization.[8]

It is valued in the Philippines for its dense durable wood and was once used extensively in furniture, boats, utensils, and as construction material.[9] The wood is also known to resist decay and termites.[10] It became a protected species in the Philippines and it is illegal to cut its tree under certain conditions.[11] Before 2019, it was listed as critically endangered, threatened and vulnerable in the assessments recorded in the IUCN Red List.[12][13] As of 2017, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources classified it as endangered due to overharvesting and habitat loss.[14][15] Although in 2019, the species was reassessed and declared as least concern by IUCN.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b de Kok, R. (2020). "Vitex parviflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T33339A67741355. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T33339A67741355.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Molave". OneToTree. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  3. ^ NRCS. "Vitex parviflora". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  4. ^ "molave". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
  5. ^ Bulletin. Bureau of Public Printing. 1907.
  6. ^ a b Merrill, Elmer Drew (1903). A dictionary of the plant names of the Philippine Islands. Manila: Bureau of Public Printing, Department of The Interior. p. 191 – via University of Michigan Digital Collections.
  7. ^ Bareja, Ben G. "Two Strains of Molave Tree Distinguished". Cropsreview.com. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d "Vitex parviflora (molave)". www.cabi.org. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  9. ^ Lomosbog, Noel T.; Gamil, Noel S. (2015). "Characterization of Potential Molave (Vitex parviflora Juss.) Mother Trees in Lila, Bohol, Philippines". International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development. 6 (2): 11–16. doi:10.32115/ijerd.6.2_11.
  10. ^ Alvina, Corazon S. (2020-04-12). "The Hardwoods of our Vanishing Forests". Herald Suites. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  11. ^ "PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT LAWS - CHAN ROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY - FULL TEXT OF ACT NO. 3572". www.chanrobles.com. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  12. ^ "Threatened plants of the Philippines: a preliminary assessment" (PDF). National Red List. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  13. ^ Berame, Julie; Bulay, Minie L.; Mercado, Rissa M. (2021-06-05). "Sustaining angiosperms' diversity of Bood Promontory and Eco-Park, Butuan City, Philippines: Step towards a community based-protection management program". Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity. 22 (6). doi:10.13057/biodiv/d220662. ISSN 2085-4722. S2CID 236273177.
  14. ^ "Molave". The Return of the Philippine Native Trees. Rain Forest Restoration Initiative. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  15. ^ Bareja, Ben G. "The Molave Trees are Amazing, What With Their Plenty of Conventional Uses and New Ones That Evolved". Cropsreview.com. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
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