''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions,

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Taiwan, Korea, and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south into Indochina. The genus includes

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s growing to tall, and vigorous, strong-growing vines, growing up to in tree canopies. They mostly tolerate temperatures down to around , and some are much hardier. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are alternate and simple, with a dentated margin and a long petiole. The flowers are solitary or in axillary

cymes An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

, usually white, with five small

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. Most of the species are

with separate male and female plants, but some are

monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...

. The fruit is a large

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

containing numerous small seeds; in most species, the fruit is edible. In particular, this genus is known for the species ''

Actinidia deliciosa ''Actinidia deliciosa'', the fuzzy kiwifruit, is a fruiting vine native to Southern China. Other species of '' Actinidia'' are also found in China and range east to Japan and north into southern areas of Russian Far East. This species grows nat ...

'', one of the most common cultivated kiwifruits, and for the hardy ornamental '' A. kolomikta''.

Fossil record

Fossils of the extinct species ''A. faveolata'' are known from Europe and

Western Siberia Western Siberia or West Siberia (russian: Западная Сибирь, Zapadnaya Sibir'; kk, Батыс Сібір) is a part of the larger region of Siberia that is mostly located in the Russian Federation. It lies between the Ural region an ...

extending from the Upper

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

to the

Early Pleistocene The Early Pleistocene is an unofficial sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, being the earliest division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently estimated to span the time ...

Species

The 40–60 species of ''Actinidia'' include: *''

Actinidia arguta ''Actinidia arguta'', the hardy kiwi, is a perennial vine native to Japan, Korea, Northern China, and the Russian Far East. It produces a small kiwifruit without the hair-like fiber covering the outside, unlike most other species of the genus.< ...

'' – kokuwa, tara vine or hardy kiwi **''A. arguta'' var. ''cordifolia'' **''A. arguta'' var. ''giraldii'' **''A. arguta'' var. ''nervosa'' **''A. arguta'' var. ''purpurea'' *''

Actinidia arisanensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia callosa'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''acuminata'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''discolor'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''ephippioides'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''formosana'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''henryi'' **''A. callosa'' var. ''strigillosa'' *'' Actinidia carnosifolia'' **''A. carnosifolia'' var. ''glaucescens'' *''

Actinidia chengkouensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia chinensis'' **''A. chinensis'' var. ''hispida'' **''A. chinensis'' var. ''jinggangshanensis'' **''A. chinensis'' var. ''setosa'' *''

Actinidia chrysantha ''Actinidia chrysantha'' is a species of plant in the Actinidiaceae family. It is endemic to China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a popul ...

'' *'' Actinidia cinerascens'' **''A. cinerascens'' var. ''longipetiolata'' **''A. cinerascens'' var. ''tenuifolia'' *''

Actinidia cordifolia ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia coriacea ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia cylindrica'' **''A. cylindrica'' f. ''obtusifolia'' *''

'' – kiwifruit, mi hou tao or Chinese gooseberry *'' Actinidia eriantha'' *''

Actinidia farinosa ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia fasciculoides ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' **''A. fasciculoides'' var. ''cuneata'' **''A. fasciculoides'' var. ''orbiculata'' *†''

Actinidia faveolata ''Actinidia faveolata'' is an extinct species in the kiwifruit genus, ''Actinidia''. Fossil record Fossil pollen of ''Actinidia faveolata'' have been recovered from early Pleistocene sediments in Ludham east of Wroxham, East Anglia. ''Actinidia ...

'' *'' Actinidia fortunatii'' *'' Actinidia foveolata'' *''

Actinidia fulvicoma ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' **''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''lanata'' ***''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''lanata'' f. ''arachnoidea'' ***''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''lanata'' f. ''hirsuta'' **''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''pachyphylla'' *†'' Actinidia germanica'' *'' Actinidia glauco-callosa-callosa'' *''

Actinidia glaucophylla ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' **''A. glaucophylla'' var. ''asymmetrica'' **''A. glaucophylla'' var. ''robusta'' *''

Actinidia globosa ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia gracilis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia grandiflora'' *'' Actinidia hemsleyana'' **''A. hemsleyana'' var. ''kengiana'' *''

Actinidia henryi ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' **''A. henryi'' var. ''glabricaulis'' **''A. henryi'' var. ''polyodonta'' *'' Actinidia holotricha'' *'' Actinidia hubeiensis'' *''

Actinidia indochinensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia kolomikta ''Actinidia kolomikta'', the kolomikta, miyamatatabi, variegated-leaf hardy kiwi, is a species of flowering plant in the family Actinidiaceae, native to temperate mixed forests of the Russian Far East, Korea, Japan and China (Eastern Asiatic Regi ...

'' *'' Actinidia laevissima'' *'' Actinidia lanceolata'' *'' Actinidia latifolia'' **''A. latifolia'' var. ''mollis'' *''

Actinidia leptophylla ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia liangguangensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia lijiangensis'' *''

Actinidia linguiensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia longicarpa ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *''

Actinidia macrosperma ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' **''A. macrosperma'' var. ''mumoides'' *'' Actinidia maloides'' **''A. maloides'' f. ''cordata'' *''

Actinidia melanandra ''Actinidia melanandra'', known as purple kiwi or red kiwi is a fruiting plant in the genus ''Actinidia'', which contains three commercially grown species of kiwifruit. The plant is native to parts of Hubei, Sichuan, and Yunnan Yunnan , ...

'' **''A. melanandra'' var. ''cretacea'' **''A. melanandra'' var. ''glabrescens'' **''A. melanandra'' var. ''kwangsiensis'' **''A. melanandra'' var. ''subconcolor'' *''

Actinidia melliana ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia obovata'' *''

Actinidia oregonensis ''Actinidia oregonensis'' is an extinct species of flowering plants in the kiwifruit family, Actinidiaceae, alternate URL = https://www.docdroid.net/0uUdVoF/fruits-and-seeds-of-the-middle-eocene-nut-beds-flora-clarno-formation-oregon-1994-steven ...

'' *''

Actinidia persicina ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia pilosula'' *''

Actinidia polygama ''Actinidia polygama'' (also known as , silver vine, , and cat powder) is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between . Silver vine can reach up to high ...

'' – silver vine *'' Actinidia purpurea'' *''

Actinidia rongshuiensis ''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern Asia, occurring throughout most of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, and extending north to southern areas of Russian Far East and south i ...

'' *'' Actinidia rubricaulis'' **''A. rubricaulis'' var. ''coriacea'' *'' Actinidia rubus'' *'' Actinidia rudis'' *'' Actinidia rufa'' *'' Actinidia rufotricha'' **''A. rufotricha'' var. ''glomerata'' *'' Actinidia sabiaefolia'' *'' Actinidia sorbifolia'' *'' Actinidia stellatopilosa'' *'' Actinidia styracifolia'' *'' Actinidia suberifolia'' *'' Actinidia tetramera'' **''A. tetramera'' var. ''badongensis'' *'' Actinidia trichogyna'' *'' Actinidia ulmifolia'' *'' Actinidia umbelloides'' **''A. umbelloides'' var. ''flabellifolia'' *'' Actinidia valvata'' **''A. valvata'' var. ''boehmeriaefolia'' *'' Actinidia venosa'' **''A. venosa'' f. ''pubescens'' *'' Actinidia vitifolia'' *'' Actinidia zhejiangensis'' Actinidia fruits

Uses

Kiwifruit is a

cultivar group A Group (previously cultivar-groupInternational Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, 4th edition (1969), 5th edition (1980) and 6th edition (1995)) is a formal category in the ''International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants'' ('' ...

of ''A. deliciosa'', and hardy kiwi is the species ''

'', which has small fruit weighing , with green edible skins and green flesh; it is hardier than ''A. deliciosa''. Some species are grown as ornamental plants, notably ''A. kolomikta''. In Japan, ''

'' ( silver vine) is noted for having an effect on cats much like that of catnip. It is mentioned in the saying 猫にまたたび、女郎に小判 (''neko ni matatabi, jorō ni koban'', " silver vine to a cat, a coin to a prostitute"), meaning to put someone in a good mood by providing that which they most desire. ''A. kolomikta'' is the hardiest species (to about -40 °C or -40 °F), and has distinctive white- and pink- variegated foliage even on wild plants, an unusual phenomenon. Its fruit is very small, weighing or less.

Etymology

''Actinidia'' is derived from Ancient Greek 'ray', and is a reference to the rayed styles of the flowers.

References

External links

Images : Actinidia kolomikta (Maxim. et Rupr.) Maxim.
- Flavon's Secret Flower Garden
Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of Actinidia latifolia (Actinidiaceae)
— chloroplastic phylogeny of some species {{Authority control Ericales genera Extant Eocene first appearances Dioecious plants