two-lipped and funnel-form (measuring 8 mm in length). Four stamens are didynamous and extend beyond the corolla tube (measuring 9 to 10 mm). The style extends beyond the stamens (total length: 12 mm). Pollen is tricolpate. Ovaries consist of two carpels with each containing two single seeded locules. Fruits The fruits are globose drupes that are green while immature but turn yellow and red before maturing to bluish black. The fruits are frequently incorrectly characterized in the literature as "seeds or berries". Each drupe contains a maximum of four seeds though there are usually fewer as a result of seed abortion. Seeds Each seed is encapsulated in a separate compartment. Endosperm is absent. Seeds germinate into tender seedlings that bear two cotyledons and quickly develop two red-margined true leaves. Ploidy level is 2n = 32, 34*. Taxonomy Vitex rotundifolia is a member of the family Lamiaceae and subfamily Viticoideae. The plant was originally described by the son of Carl Linnaeus, Carl Linnaeus the Younger The original description was published in Supplementum Plantarum in 1782. The generic epithet, Vitex, is derived from the Latin viere, meaning “to bind or twist” in reference to the rope-like stems produced by some species in the genus. The specific epithet, rotundifolia, is derived from the Latin rotundus, which means "round, spherical", and folium, meaning "leaf.” This is a reference to the rounded character of the leaves. Family level classification Vitex and all other members of the family Verbenaceae save those in the subfamily Verbenoideae were recently moved to the family Lamiaceae. As a result of this reorganization, two monophyletic families were established from the paraphyletic Verbenaceae and polyphyletic Lamiaceae. This new classification scheme was initially proposed by Cantino in 1992. Subsequent cpDNA analysis, rbcL sequence analysis, chemotaxonomic studies, and morphological analyses have supported the original logic for family reorganization. This revision has resulted in some confusion regarding the classification of V. rotundifolia in the literature. Despite the fact that the revision is well supported with volumes of data, many authors continue to incorrectly place the plant in Verbenaceae. Species level classification Recent revisions of the genus Vitex have placed V. rotundifolia in synonymy with V. trifolia subsp. littoralis Steenis. Previous researchers have placed V. rotundifolia within V. trifolia. Moldenke (1958) placed V. rotundifolia in synonymy with V. trifolia var. simplicifolia. The placement of Moldenke was in disagreement with Corner (1939), which held V. rotundifolia as