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Vitex negundo L.

Synonym	:	Vitex arborea Desf.
Family	:	Verbenaceae
Local name	:	English-  Negundo Chastetree Malayalam- Karinochi, Nochi
Flowering and fruiting period	:	February-July
Distribution	:	Indo-Malesia and China, cultivated throughout the tropics.
Distribution in kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Grown as hedge plant, also   growing wild.
Endemic /Exotic		Tropical Eastern and Southern Africa and Asia.
Uses	:	The leaf, seed and the root to treat excessive vaginal discharge, edema, skin diseases, pruritus, helminthiasis, rheumatism and puerperal fever.
Key botanical characters:  Shrubs or small trees; purple pubescent all over, aromatic. Leaves 3-5-foliolate, narrowly oblong or elliptic to lanceolate, base acute, apex acuminate. Panicles terminal, Calyx 5-toothed obconic,teeth triangular. Corolla deep purple to violet, subequal, obtuse. Stamens 4, filaments purple. Ovary long; style purple; stigma 2-fid. Drupe, globose, purple or black.