''Actinidia'' is a genus of woody and, with a few exceptions, dioecious plants native to temperate eastern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, occurring throughout most of

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and extending north to southern areas of

Russian Far East The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...

and south into Indochina. The genus includes

shrub A shrub or 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 by their multiple ...

s growing to tall, and vigorous, strong-growing

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

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

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are alternate and simple, with a dentated margin and a long petiole. The

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are solitary or in axillary cymes, usually white, with five small

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s. Most of the species are dioecious with separate male and female plants, but some are monoecious. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a large berry containing numerous small

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s; in most species, the fruit is edible. In particular, this genus is known for the taxon ''Actinidia chinensis'' var. ''deliciosa'', one of the most common cultivated

kiwifruit Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi), or Chinese gooseberry, is the edible berry (botany), berry of several species of woody vines in the genus ''Actinidia''. The most common cultivar group of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa, ...

s, and for the hardy ornamental '' Actinidia kolomikta''.

Description

''Actinidia'' are perennial climbing vines, typically found in the lower storey of forests, along stream beds and at forest margins. Some species of ''Actinidia'' can form dense thickets, such as '' Actinidia kolomikta'' and '' Actinidia venosa''. ''Actinidia'' leaves alternate, and typically have a long petiole, covered in hairs in some members of the genus. Leaves can be variable in size and shape, even within individual plants. Members of ''Actinidia'' have dioecious flowers, and have cup-shaped flowers, typically with five or more petals. The fruit of ''Actinidia'' is a berry with hundreds of small, darkly-coloured seeds, embedded into the fruit flesh. The fruit is often a bright green colour due to the presence of

chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...

, something uncommonly found in ripe fruit. Fruit flesh often ranges from bright yellow to dark green, depending on the species.

Range and fossil record

''Actinidia'' species are commonly found in south-western China, though they range from Siberia to

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. The greatest number of taxa found in the wild are in the

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

province, where almost half of the known species are endemic to Yunnan. Other provinces of China with significant populations of wild ''Actinidia'' include Guanxi,

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

, Jiangxi,

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

and

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

. Fossils of the extinct species ''A. faveolata'' are known from Europe and Western Siberia extending from the Upper

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

to the Early Pleistocene, suggesting that the genus was previously more wide-spread across the world.

Species

The 40–60

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of ''Actinidia'' include: *'' Actinidia acuminata'' *'' Actinidia arguta'' – kokuwa, tara vine, hardy kiwi, hearty red kiwifruit, purple kiwi **''A. arguta'' var. ''giraldii'' **''A. arguta'' var. ''hypoleuca'' *'' 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 chengkouensis'' *''

Actinidia chinensis ''Actinidia chinensis'' is a fruiting vine native to China. It is one of some 40 related species of the genus '' Actinidia'', and the origin of most commercial varieties of kiwifruit. There are three accepted varieties of the species. ''Actini ...

'' ** ''A. chinensis'' var. ''deliciosa'' – kiwifruit, mihoutao or Chinese gooseberry ** ''A. chinensis'' var. ''setosa'' – Taiwanese kiwifruit *'' Actinidia chrysantha'' *'' Actinidia cylindrica'' **''A. cylindrica'' var. ''cylindrica'' **''A. cylindrica'' var. ''reticulata'' *'' Actinidia eriantha'' *'' Actinidia farinosa'' *'' Actinidia fasciculoides'' **''A. fasciculoides'' var. ''cuneata'' **''A. fasciculoides'' var. ''orbiculata'' *†'' Actinidia faveolata'' *'' Actinidia fortunatii'' *'' Actinidia fulvicoma'' **''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''cinerascens'' **''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''hirsuta'' **''A. fulvicoma'' var. ''pachyphylla'' *†'' Actinidia germanica'' *'' Actinidia glaucocallosa'' *'' Actinidia grandiflora'' *'' Actinidia hemsleyana'' *'' Actinidia henryi'' *'' Actinidia holotricha'' *'' Actinidia hubeiensis'' *'' Actinidia indochinensis'' *'' Actinidia jijiangensis'' *'' Actinidia kolomikta'' – arctic beauty kiwi, kolomikta, miyamatatabi, super-hardy kiwi, variegated-leaf hardy kiwi *'' Actinidia laevissima'' *'' Actinidia lanceolata'' *'' Actinidia latifolia'' **''A. latifolia'' var. ''mollis'' *'' Actinidia liangguangensis'' *'' Actinidia lijiangensis'' *'' Actinidia linguiensis'' *'' Actinidia longicarpa'' *'' Actinidia macrosperma'' **''A. macrosperma'' var. ''mumoides'' *'' Actinidia melanandra'' – purple kiwi, red kiwi **''A. melanandra'' var. ''glabrescens'' *'' Actinidia melliana'' *'' Actinidia obovata'' *'' Actinidia oregonensis'' *'' Actinidia pentapetala'' *'' Actinidia persicina'' *'' Actinidia pilosula'' *'' Actinidia polygama'' – silver vine *'' Actinidia rongshuiensis'' *'' Actinidia rubricaulis'' **''A. rubricaulis'' var. ''coriacea'' – Chinese egg gooseberry *'' Actinidia rubus'' *'' Actinidia rudis'' *'' Actinidia rufa'' *'' Actinidia rufotricha'' **''A. rufotricha'' var. ''glomerata'' *'' Actinidia sabiifolia'' *'' Actinidia sorbifolia'' *'' Actinidia stellatopilosa'' *'' Actinidia strigosa'' *'' 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'' **''A. valvata'' var. ''longipedicellata'' *'' Actinidia venosa'' **''A. venosa'' f. ''pubescens'' *''

Actinidia vitifolia ''Actinidia vitifolia'' 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. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 b ...

'' *'' Actinidia zhejiangensis''

Gallery

Weiki02.jpg, '' Actinidia arguta'' 'Weiki' Actinidia callosa discolor 30592860.jpg, '' Actinidia callosa'' var. ''discolor'' GoldenKiwis (14340766416).jpg, ''

'' var. ''chinensis'' Kiwis 006eue.jpg, ''Actinidia chinensis'' var. ''deliciosa'' Actinidia setosa 47804189.jpg, ''Actinidia chinensis'' var. ''setosa'' Actinidia eriantha 9657846.jpg, '' Actinidia eriantha'' Киш-миш-плоды-на-лиане.jpg, '' Actinidia kolomikta'' Actinidiaceae- Actinidia latifolia (wild kiwi fruit).jpg, '' Actinidia latifolia'' Actinidia macrosperma at the Wuhan Botanical Garden.jpg, '' Actinidia macrosperma'' Actinidia persicina at the Wuhan Botanical Garden.jpg, '' Actinidia persicina'' Actinidia-pilosula.jpg, '' Actinidia pilosula'' Actinidia polygama 071027b.JPG, '' Actinidia polygama'' Actinidia rubricaulis coriacea 349121163.jpg, '' Actinidia rubricaulis'' var. ''coriacea'' Actinidia rufa 22990761.jpg, '' Actinidia rufa''

Uses

Kiwifruit is a cultivar group of ''A. chinesis'', and hardy kiwi is the species '' Actinidia arguta'', which has small fruit weighing , with green edible skins and green flesh; it is hardier than ''A. chinensis''. Some species are grown as ornamental plants, notably ''A. kolomikta''. In Japan, '' Actinidia polygama'' (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 Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), 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 Taxa named by John Lindley Plants described in 1836