Tropical Plant "Taruma"
Vitex cymosa

Characteristics - Vitex cymosa is a fruit tree, occasionally cultivated as a shade tree. It is not too frequent in its natural habitat, the gallery forests of the Amazon region, central Brazil as far as Sao Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, it is more frequent in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso. It is a deciduous tree with and extensive crown, 12-20 m tall. Leaves are compound digitate with leaflets coriaceous, and cinerous-tomen-tose on the inferior surface when young, the basal ones are from 4-7 cm long the rest from 8-12 cm. Inflorescences in axillary cymes form from September to November when the plant is totally leafless. The fruits are drupes which ripen from November to January. They contain a succulent, sweet pulp that is difficult to separate from the seed.

Uses - The fruit are consumed in their natural state, but are not widely appreciated.

Propagation - Propagated by seeds.