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The Simpleleaf chastetree (Vitex trifolia) belongs to Verbenaceae (the Verbena family). It is a small evergreen tree that is distributed westward from southern Kyushu in Japan to the Korean Peninsula, Eastsouth Asia and Australia. This tree grows in the upper reaches where are headward away from mangrove estuaries, and can reach 2-4 m in height. The leaves are trifoliate with whitish, hirsute reverse sides. The pale purple flowers bloom in the terminal panicles from August to September. The fruits are used as a herbal medicine for analgesicused, sedation and cold. In Taiwanese Chinese, it is called "三葉蔓荊", and "蔓荊" (man jing).
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