Vitex doniana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Vitex
Species:
V. doniana
Binomial name
Vitex doniana
Sweet[1]

Vitex doniana is a tree native to the Afrotropics. Its fruits are one of several fruits called black plums. This tree is often grown for its fruits.[1][2]

Description

It grows to 4–8 metres (13–26 ft), and rarely up to 15 metres (49 ft). Its fruits are at most 2.5 centimetres (31⁄32 in) in length.[2] V. doniana is found at altitudes of 0–1,800 metres (0–5,906 ft)[2] in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.[3] The insect Rastrococcus invadens is a pest to this plant.[3]

V. doniana is known as plem in Ethiopia, uchakoro in Nigeria, mfudu and mfuu in Eswatini, mfuu in Tanzania, munyamazi and yuelo in Uganda and kashilumbalu in Zambia.[3]

V. doniana is one of the few plants notable for its phytoecdysteroid content, Ochieng et al. 2013 finding it is one of the few with more than 0.001% by dry weight.[4] Specifically they find 21-hydroxyshidasterone, 11b-hydroxy-20-deoxyshidasterone and 2,3-acetonide-24-hydroxyecdysone.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Vitex doniana". Purdue University Famine Foods. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  2. ^ a b c "Category 3: Wild Food Plants Attracting Additional Consumer Categories (during food shortage periods) Vitex doniana (Sweet)". The Africa Center. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  3. ^ a b c "Vitex doniana (black plum)". Invasive Species Compendium (ISC). CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International). 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  4. ^ Dinan, Laurence; Mamadalieva, Nilufar Z.; Lafont, René (2019-10-18). "Dietary Phytoecdysteroids". Handbook of Dietary Phytochemicals. Singapore: Springer Singapore. pp. 1–54. ISBN 978-981-13-1745-3.
  5. ^ Das, Niranjan; Mishra, Siddhartha Kumar; Bishayee, Anusha; Ali, Eunüs S.; Bishayee, Anupam (2021). "The phytochemical, biological, and medicinal attributes of phytoecdysteroids: An updated review". Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B. Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmaceutical Association (Elsevier). 11 (7): 1740–1766. doi:10.1016/j.apsb.2020.10.012. ISSN 2211-3835. PMC 8343124. PMID 34386319.


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