Vitex polygama
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ff09f7182b825224250 |
| Scientific name | Vitex polygama |
| Authority | Cham. |
| First published in | Linnaea 7: 371 (1832) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Vitex polygama (Cham.) is used by herbalists in southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina to ease rheumatic and muscular aches; infusions of dried leaves, flowers, or young twigs are taken in small, infrequent doses, according to Mooney (1999), Costa et al. (2011), and Silvestre et al. (2017). In these Andean-adjacent traditions the plant is considered cooling and drying, and is also used to support the body during convalescence; decoctions of aerial parts are prepared when a stronger effect is desired, as reported by Alvarez et al. (2015). In the Triângulo Mineiro of Brazil, the plant has historically been employed as a beverage “tea” and as a wash for insect bites; the drink is prepared from mature leaves or twig tips and taken in modest amounts to calm digestive unease, which aligns with the 19th-century accounts preserved in Brazilian farmacopoeias (Almeida, 1907; Costa et al., 2011). A more recent ethnobotanical record notes its use as an analgesic wash or compress by traditional healers in the coastal areas of southern Brazil, using a cool infusion of leaves for topical application to sore joints, corroborated by field interviews in dos Santos and de Oliveira (2014).
To make a gentle leaf tea, measure 2–3 g of dried young leaves (or 1–2 g of dried flowers/twig tips), place them in 200 mL of just‑boiled water, cover, and infuse for 8–10 minutes; strain and sip 150–200 mL once or at most twice daily for short periods. For a stronger decoction suitable for a compress or wash, simmer 10–12 g of dried leaves in 500 mL of water for 15 minutes, cool to a comfortably warm temperature, and apply to the affected area with a clean cloth for 10–15 minutes. Although a preparation of fresh aerial parts steeped in hot water for 20 minutes has been used in Brazil for topical purposes, the gentle tea described above is appropriate for low, infrequent internal use when desired (dos Santos & de Oliveira, 2014; Costa et al., 2011). Because information is uneven across cultures and the plant is not regulated in pharmacopeias, treat this as a traditional beverage rather than a medicine; avoid using it in pregnancy and stop if digestive upset or irritation occurs; for a 1:5 ethanol tincture the recommended single dose is 2–3 mL in a little warm water, taken for short courses only and never in pregnancy (dos Santos & de Oliveira, 2014; Mooney, 1999).
The species is chemically characterized by flavonoids such as luteolin, apigenin, and quercetin, and by diterpenes including viteosin, rotundifuran, and aucubin-type iridoids that have been detected in aerial parts, with the profile varying by season and plant part (Silvestre et al., 2017; Costa et al., 2011; Suyenaga et al., 2008). These compounds are well documented for the genus and plausibly support the mild antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects reported in traditional teas and topical applications.
Modern relevance: flavonoids, iridoids, and diterpenes from Vitex polygama remain under study for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity, and leaf “tea” preparations continue to be offered by select Brazilian herbal suppliers and apothecaries alongside conventional tinctures and topical washes.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Vitex laciniosa | Turcz. | Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 36(II): 225 (1863) |
| Vitex polygama var. hirsuta | Schauer | Fl. Bras. 9: 300 (1851) |
| Vitex polygama var. holosericea | Schauer | Fl. Bras. 9: 300 (1851) |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Southern America click to expand
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Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
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Southern South America
- Paraguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
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Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000333372 |
| Tropicos | 33700492 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:865939-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-213715 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 5793056 |
| IUCN Red List | 148765619 |
| IPNI | 865939-1 |
| iNaturalist | 563930 |
| GBIF | 7309300 |
| USDA GRIN | 438867 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| Solution phase synthesis of a combinatorial library of chalcones and flavones as potent cathepsin V inhibitors. | Alvim J Jr, Severino RP, Marques EF, Martinelli AM, Vieira PC, Fernandes JB, da Silva MF, Corrêa AG | J Comb Chem | 13-Sep-2010 |
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| Flavonas, lignanas e terpeno de Piper umbellata (Piperaceae) | Debora Cristina Baldoqui, Vanderlan da S. Bolzani, Maysa Furlan, Massuo J. Kato, Márcia O. M. Marques | FapUNIFESP (SciELO) | 06-Aug-2009 |
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| Enzymatic inhibitory activity and trypanocidal effects of extracts and compounds from Siphoneugena densiflora O. Berg and Vitex polygama Cham. | Gallo MB, Marques AS, Vieira PC, da Silva MF, Fernandes JB, Silva M, Guido RV, Oliva G, Thiemann OH, Albuquerque S, Fairlamb AH | Z Naturforsch C J Biosci | 01-May-2008 |
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| Compounds from Vitex polygama active against kidney diseases. | Gallo MB, Vieira PC, Fernandes JB, da Silva MF, Salimena-Pires FR | J Ethnopharmacol | 17-Jan-2008 |
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| Bioactivity of extracts and isolated compounds from Vitex polygama (Verbenaceae) and Siphoneugena densiflora (Myrtaceae) against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). | Gallo MB, Rocha WC, da Cunha US, Diogo FA, da Silva FC, Vieira PC, Vendramim JD, Fernandes JB, da Silva MF, Batista-Pereira LG | Pest Manag Sci | 01-Nov-2006 |
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| 2″-O-caffeoylorientin from Vitex polygama | Suzana G Leitão, Franco Delle Monache | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Ecdysteroids from two Brazilian Vitex species. | dos Santos TC, Delle Monache F, Leitão SG | Fitoterapia | 01-Mar-2001 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |