Greek aktis—a ray, referring to star-like flowers or the rayed stigmas of the female flowers.
Climbing shrubs. Stems with segmented pith. Leaves alternate, simple, stalked. Flowers solitary or in clusters. Flowers cup-shaped, mostly white. Fruit a berry.
A. deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang & A.R. Ferguson is grown commercially for its edible fruit. A. arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Miq. is occasionally grown; it has distinctive purple anthers.
Seed, cuttings or layers.
Fruit edible and used in salads, jams, preserves etc.
Woody climber with brown-hairy berries having green flesh and black pips.
About 60 species from E Asia.
Li (1952).
Source: (1997). Actinidiaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
