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. It 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.
Millets are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets also belong to various other taxa.
The Actinidiaceae are a small family of flowering plants. The family has three genera and about 360 species and is a member of the order Ericales.
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.
Avena is a genus of Eurasian and African plants in the grass family. Collectively known as the oats, they include some species which have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for humans and livestock. They are widespread throughout Europe, Asia and northwest Africa. Several species have become naturalized in many parts of the world, and are regarded as invasive weeds where they compete with crop production. All oats have edible seeds, though they are small and hard to harvest in most species.
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 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 m.
Hebanthe erianthos, known as suma or Brazilian ginseng, is a species of plant in the family Amaranthaceae. The specific epithet is also spelt "eriantha", although the basionym is Iresine erianthos.
Actinidia pilosula is a species of plant in the Actinidiaceae family. It is endemic to China. The Tibetan people of Shangri-La and nearby areas eat its fruit.
Actinidia chinensis(Planch.), known commercially as the golden kiwifruit, is a fruiting vine, native to China. It is one of some 40 related species of the genus Actinidia, and closely related to Actinidia deliciosa, which is the source of the most common commercial kiwifruit. Fruit colour may vary from green to lime green or gold, depending on breeding.
Clematoclethra is a genus of plants in the family Actinidiaceae. It contains about 20 species and is endemic to subtropical and temperate regions of central and western China. Monophyly of the group is supported by genetic evidence and also evidence based on the cell biology of members of the genus. Monophyly of the genus is also supported by micromorphological characters of foliar trichomes and by phylogenetic analysis, although the exact evolutionary relationships of this genus with the other two genera of the Actinidiaceae, the Actinidia and the Saurauia, are not well understood.
Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America. The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole.
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.
Actinidia polygama is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between 500 and 1,900 metres.
Digitaria eriantha, commonly known as digitgrass or Pangola-grass, is a grass grown in tropical and subtropical climates. It grows relatively well in various soils, but grows especially well in moist soils. It is tolerant to droughts, water lodging, suppresses weeds and grows relatively quickly after grazing. This grass demonstrates great potential for farmers in Africa in subtropical and tropical climates, mostly for livestock feed.
Diospyros eriantha is a tree in the family Ebenaceae. It grows up to 7 metres (20 ft) tall. The fruits are ellipsoid, black, up to 1 cm (0.4 in) long. The specific epithet eriantha is from the Greek meaning "woolly flowers". D. eriantha is found in and around southern China, Indochina, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Taiwan and the Philippines.
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.
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 rufa is a species of flowering plant in the Chinese gooseberry family Actinidiaceae, native to Taiwan, some of the southwestern South Korean islands, the Ryukyu Islands, and southern and south-central Japan. A large climbing shrub, it is found in mountain forests at elevations from 1,000 to 2,000 m. As a crop wild relative of kiwifruit, it is being studied for its resistance to frost and to bacterial canker of kiwifruit.
Actinidia valvata is a species of flowering plant in the Chinese gooseberry family Actinidiaceae, native to southern China. A deciduous climbing shrub, it is found in open woodlands and in thickets, preferring mountain valley bottoms, around 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level. As a crop wild relative of kiwifruit, it is being studied for its resistance to waterlogging, with an eye towards using it as a rootstock.
