Roasted bean tree, Rusty-hair vitex
Vitex vestita
Family: Lamiaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small thin tree. It grows 6 m high. It is 5 cm across the trunk. The bark is light. The branches are 4 sided. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are 3-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They have a hairy covering underneath. The leaves are light green. The leaf stalks are 2-6 cm long. The flowers are creamy white. The fruit are green to brown. They are 6-9 mm long by 4-8 mm wide. Edible flower.
Also put in the family Verbenaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. In China in southern Yunnan is grows in dry hillsides between 580-1,400 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Brunei, China, India, Indochina, Laos, Myanmar, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The fruit are roasted and have the flavour of broad beans.
Edible parts
Flowers, fruit
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Tauksha