Vitex parviflora[2] is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae, also known as smallflower chastetree[3] or the molave tree. The name "molave" is from Spanish, derived from mulawin,[4] the Tagalog word for the tree.[5][6] It is also known as tugas in Visayan languages.[7][6] It yields one of two woods from the same genus called molave wood, the other being Vitex cofassus.
It is valued in the Philippines for its dense durable wood and was once used extensively in furniture, boats, utensils, and as construction material.[9] The wood is also known to resist decay and termites.[10] It became a protected species in the Philippines and it is illegal to cut its tree under certain conditions.[11] Before 2019, it was listed as critically endangered, threatened and vulnerable in the assessments recorded in the IUCN Red List.[12][13] As of 2017, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources classified it as endangered due to overharvesting and habitat loss.[14][15] Although in 2019, the species was reassessed and declared as least concern by IUCN.[1]