Vitex /ˈvaɪtɛks/ is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It has about 250 species. Common names include "chastetree", traditionally referring to V. agnus-castus but often applied to other species as well. Species of Vitex are native throughout the tropics and subtropics, with a few species in temperate Eurasia. The genus Vitex was named by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753. Vitex was the name used by Pliny the Elder for Vitex agnus-castus. It is derived from the Latin vieo, meaning to weave or to tie up, a reference to the use of Vitex agnus-castus in basketry.