Family Actinidiaceae
Description: Trees, or more commonly shrubs or woody vines, dioecious or functionally dioecious; indumentum often of multicellular branched and unbranched trichomes.
Leaves alternate or spirally arranged, simple, usually toothed; stipules absent.
Inflorescence an axillary cyme or panicle, sometimes flowers solitary, sometimes borne on the old wood. Flowers actinomorphic. Sepals (3–)5(–8). Petals (3–)5(–9), free or shortly united at base, usually white or pink, rarely red, sometimes scented. Stamens (10–)20–240. Ovary superior, disc absent, usually 3–5-locular; ovules numerous. Styles free or basally connate, equal in number to locules.
Fruit a berry, frequently edible. Seeds numerous, reticulate, embedded in pulp.
Distribution and occurrence: A family of 3 genera and c. 430 species, from Asia and tropical regions of America; 1 native and 1 naturalised species from separate genera in Australia, one possibly naturalised species in NSW.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Actinidiaceae, Order: Ericales)
Wikipedia
Text by R.L. Barrett, Aug. 2021
Taxon concept: Fl. China (2007)
| One genus in NSW: Actinidia |
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