Vitex L. (Lamiaceae, Viticoideae) is taxonomically very complex comprising c. 250 pan-tropical, subtropical and a few temperate species. The most extensive taxonomic revision of the genus was by Pieper for African and Malagasy taxa and goes back to 1928. The need for a modern revision of the whole genus became critical with its recent transference from the Verbenaceae to the Lamiaceae (subfamily Viticoideae). Vitex is a large genus (3.6% of the Lamiaceae s.l.) and its taxonomic position is not of minor taxonomic/evolutionary importance. Vitex is a very important genus in traditional...