Akebia

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Akebia
Akebia quinata02.jpg
Akebia quinata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Lardizabalaceae
Genus: Akebia
Decne. (1837) [1]
Species

5, see text

Synonyms [1]

ArchakebiaC.Y.Wu, T.C.Chen & H.N.Qin (1995)

Akebia is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae.

Contents

Akebia quinata is the most well known species as a minor invader in the majority of the American East Coast [2] and some states in the West Coast. [3]

Taxonomy

The scientific name, akebia, is a Latinization of akebi (通草), the Japanese name for the species A. quinata. [4]

Species

There are five species: [1] [5]

FlowerNameCommon nameDistribution
Akebia apetala (Quan Xia, J.Z.Sun & Z.X.Peng) Christenh.China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
Leaf of Ching.jpg Akebia chingshuiensis T. Shimizu Taiwan
Akebia longeracemosa (14168601575).jpg Akebia longeracemosa MatsumuraLong Racemed Akebia China and Taiwan
Akebia quinata 003.JPG Akebia quinata (Houttuyn) DecaisneChocolate vine or five-leaf akebia China, Korea and Japan
Akebia trifoliata1.jpg Akebia trifoliata (Thunberg) KoidzumiThree-leaf akebia China, Korea and Japan

Hybrids

Fruit

Akebia quinata and Akebia trifoliata both bear edible fruit, containing a sweet white flesh. [6] Flavor varies greatly in akebias, even within the same species, with some individuals displaying a complex flavor profile resembling a mixture of banana, passionfruit and lychee, with others being mild, or even insipid (flavorless). [7] The "insipid" akebia varieties have the flavor intensity of dragon fruit [8]

Akebia in Japan

Akebia is often mentioned in Japanese literature, where it is evocative of pastoral settings. [9] Although the akebi commonly refers to the five-leafed species, the three-leafed species is used in much the same way for novelty food, medicine, and for vine material.

While only a minor food eaten while foraging in the past, akebia is considered a specialty crop today, only available when in season. The pods contain a white, semi-translucent gelatinous pulp that is mildly sweet and full of seeds. [10] The taste is described as sweet but rather "insipid". [10] Some people recollect in idyllic terms how they foraged for it in the hills as children. [11]

The purple-colored, slightly bitter rind has been used as a vegetable in Yamagata Prefecture [11] [12] or in those northern areas, where the typical recipe calls for stuffing the rind with minced chicken (or pork) flavored with miso. [12] Minor quantities of akebia are shipped to the urban market as a novelty vegetable.

In addition to consuming the fruit, akebia leaves are also made into a tea infusion. [9] Outside of food and drinks, akebia vines are used for basket-weaving crafts. An old source lists Minakuchi, Shiga and Tsugaru (now Aomori Prefecture) as localities that produced baskets from the vines of trifoliate variety. [13]

Akebia fruit growing in western Washington Akebia in PNW.jpg
Akebia fruit growing in western Washington
Ripe Akebia quinata grown in Washington state Aquinataflesh.jpg
Ripe Akebia quinata grown in Washington state

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Akebia Decne". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  2. "chocolate vine: Akebia quinata (Ranunculales: Lardizabalaceae):". Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  3. Holscher, Mary (13 October 2019). "Five-leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  4. Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press. p. 40. ISBN   9780521866453.
  5. "Akebia". Flora of China. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  6. "Akebia quinata". PFAF.
  7. "Akebia: A Potential New Fruit Crop in China". HortScience. Archived from the original on 2018-04-06.
  8. "Chocolate Vine - Akebia quinata | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  9. 1 2 Davidson, Alan, and Tom Jaine. The Oxford companion to food. Oxford University Press, USA, 2006. 805. Print. Retrieved Aug. 09, 2010, from
  10. 1 2 Sargent, Charles Sprague (March 25, 1891), "Plant Notes-The Fruit of Akebia quinata (With Figure.)" (google), Garden and Forest, 4 (161): 136
  11. 1 2 Nimura, Kazuo(二村一夫)r (2006-07-22). "食の自分史" [Self-history on food]. 『食の自分史』. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  12. 1 2 Yamagata City Health Center (2011-01-31). "あけびの詰め物" [stuffed akebia]. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2017., photograph shows trifoliate variety (twig, fresh purple plant, and prepared dish)
  13. Dai Nihon Nōkai (1895). Useful plants of Japan: described and illustrated (google). Vol. 1. Agricultural Society of Japan. p. 92.

Further reading