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 into Indochina. The genus includes shrubs 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.

alt=Immature kiwifruit hanging beneath dense Actinidia foliage on a natural vine.|thumb|266x266px|Kiwifruit developing on Actinidia vines

The leaves are alternate and simple, with a dentated margin and a long petiole. The flowers are solitary or in axillary cymes, usually white, with five small petals. Most of the species are dioecious with separate male and female plants, but some are monoecious. The fruit is a large berry containing numerous small seeds; 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 kiwifruits, 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. suggesting that the genus was previously more wide-spread across the world.

  • 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 zhejiangensis

<gallery>

Weiki02.jpg|Actinidia arguta 'Weiki'

Actinidia callosa discolor 30592860.jpg|Actinidia callosa var. discolor

GoldenKiwis (14340766416).jpg|Actinidia chinensis 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

</gallery>

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.&nbsp;chinensis. Some species are grown as ornamental plants, notably A.&nbsp;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&nbsp;°C or −40&nbsp;°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',<!-- The ref may not mention this word. --> and is a reference to the rayed styles of the flowers.

References

  • 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