Kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, is the edible berry of several species of woody vines in the genus Actinidia. The most common cultivar group of kiwifruit is oval, about the size of a large hen's egg: 5–8 centimetres in length and 4.5–5.5 cm in diameter. Kiwifruit has a thin, fuzzy, fibrous, tart but edible light brown skin and light green or golden flesh with rows of tiny, black, edible seeds. The fruit has a soft texture with a sweet and unique flavour.
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 6 metres tall, and vigorous, strong-growing vines, growing up to 30 m (100 ft) in tree canopies. They mostly tolerate temperatures down to around −15 °C (5 °F), and some are much hardier.
The loquat is a large evergreen shrub or tree grown commercially for its orange fruit. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Juniperus chinensis, the Chinese juniper, is a species of plant in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to China, Myanmar, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. Growing 1–20 metres tall, it is a very variable coniferous evergreen tree or shrub.
Gala is an apple cultivar with a sweet, mild flavour, a crisp but not hard texture, and a striped or mottled orange or reddish appearance. Originating from New Zealand in the 1930s, similar to most named apples, it is clonally propagated. In 2018, it surpassed Red Delicious as the apple cultivar with the highest production in the United States, according to the US Apple Association. It was the first time in over 50 years that any cultivar was produced more than Red Delicious.
HortResearch was a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. The focus of research in this company was mainly in the development of new fruit varieties and other food products. It was probably most recognised for its plant breeding of various kiwifruit varieties, including new cultivars of Actinidia (genus) chinensis and arguta (species).
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.
Ernest Henry "Chinese" Wilson, better known as E. H. Wilson, was a notable British plant collector and explorer who introduced a large range of about 2000 Asian plant species to the West; some sixty bear his name.
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 naturally at altitudes between 600 and 2,000 metres.
Rosa chinensis, known commonly as the China rose, Chinese rose, or Bengal rose, is a member of the genus Rosa native to Southwest China in Guizhou, Hubei, and Sichuan Provinces. The first publication of Rosa chinensis was in 1768 by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in Observationum Botanicarum, 3, p. 7 & plate 55.
Actinidain is a type of cysteine protease enzyme found in fruits including kiwifruit, pineapple, mango, banana, figs, and papaya. This enzyme is part of the peptidase C1 family of papain-like proteases.
Fusarium acuminatum is a fungal plant pathogen.
Actinidia kolomikta, the kolomikta, miyamatatabi, super-hardy kiwi, or 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.
Kiwifruit or kiwi is a major horticultural export earner for New Zealand. New Zealand developed the first commercially viable kiwifruit and developed export markets, creating the demand for the fruit that exists today. Today New Zealand is the third largest kiwifruit producing country, next to China and Italy, and holds approximately 30% of the market share. In the 2008–2009 season the value of New Zealand kiwifruit exports was NZ$1.45 billion.
Mary Isabel Fraser was a New Zealand teacher, school principal and educationalist.
Allan Ross Ferguson is a New Zealand botanist who has made significant contributions in the field of kiwifruit scientific investigation. The standard author abbreviation A.R.Ferguson is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.
Zespri International Limited is the world's largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling in over 50 countries. Its international headquarters are in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. However, it has licensed growers in Italy, France, Japan, South Korea, Greece and Australia, with trials in place in several other countries. Kiwifruit from New Zealand is available from May to October. To satisfy year-round consumer demand, Zespri markets kiwifruit from Italy from November to January.
The gold kiwifruit or yellow kiwi is a variety of kiwifruit developed by the company Zespri International Ltd. The yellow kiwi is a different species but of the same genus as the green one.
Actinidia eriantha is a species of flowering plant in the Chinese gooseberry family Actinidiaceae, native to southern China. A large climbing shrub, it is found in low mountain forests and grassy thickets at elevations from 200 to 1,000 m. It fruits in November, which has precluded its development as a commercial crop.
