Kiwi or kiwis are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae. Approximately the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites.
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. In 2018, China produced half of the world total of kiwifruit.
The Actinidiaceae are a small family of flowering plants commonly known as the Chinese gooseberry family. 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.
"Kiwi" is a common self-reference used by New Zealanders, though it is also used internationally. Unlike many demographic labels, its usage is not considered offensive; rather, it is generally viewed as a symbol of pride and endearment for the people of New Zealand. The name derives from the kiwi, a native flightless bird, which is a national symbol of New Zealand. Until the First World War, the kiwi represented the country and not the people; however, by 1917, New Zealanders were also being called "Kiwis", supplanting other nicknames such as "Enzedder".
Actinidia arguta, the hardy kiwi, is a perennial vine native to Japan, Korea, Northern China, and Russian Far East. It produces a small kiwifruit without the hair-like fiber covering the outside, unlike most other species of the genus.
Jules Émile Planchon was a French botanist born in Ganges, Hérault.
Actinidia deliciosa, the fuzzy kiwifruit, is a fruiting vine native to southern China, the fruit of which has been declared the national fruit of that country. 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.
Actinidain is a type of cysteine protease enzyme found in fruits including kiwifruit, pineapple, mango, banana and papaya. This enzyme is part of the papain-like peptidase C1 family.
Saurauia is a genus of plants in the family Actinidiaceae. It comprises about over 300 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and South and Central America. Genetic evidence and the cell biology of the group support monophyly of the genus. Monophyly of the genus is also supported by micromorphological characters and by phylogenetic analysis, although the exact evolutionary relationships of Saurauia with the other two genera of the Actinidiaceae, Actinidia and Clematoclethra, are not well understood. It is also the only extant genus within its family whose natural distribution includes areas outside of Asia.
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.
Actinidia kolomikta, the kolomikta 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.
Kiwi most commonly refers to:
Charles Maries was an English botanist and plant collector who was sent by James Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, London to search for new hardy plants in Japan, China and Taiwan between 1877 and 1879; there he discovered over 500 new species, which Veitch introduced to England. Amongst his finds, several bear his name, including Abies mariesii, Davallia mariesii, Hydrangea macrophylla "Mariesii", Platycodon grandiflorus "Mariesii" and Viburnum plicatum "Mariesii".
Actinidia polygama is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Japan and China at elevations between 500 and 1,900 metres.
The Botanischer Garten der Universität Tübingen, also known as the Botanischer Garten Tübingen or the Neuer Botanischer Garten Tübingen, is a botanical garden and arboretum maintained by the University of Tübingen. It is located at Hartmeyerstrasse 123, Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and open daily.
Ethyl propionate is a compound with formula C2H5(C2H5COO). It is the ethyl ester of propionic acid. It has a pineapple-like odor. Some fruits such as kiwis and strawberries contain ethyl propionate in small amounts.
Actinidia oregonensis is an extinct species of flowering plants in the kiwifruit family, Actinidiaceae, solely known from the middle Eocene sediments exposed in north-central Oregon. The species was first described from a series of isolated fossil seeds in chert.
Actinidia melanandra, known as purple kiwi or red kiwi is a fruiting plant in the genus Actinidia, which contains three commercially grown species of kiwifruit. The plant is native to parts of Hubei, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces of China. The fruit has a fuzzy purple skin with reddish flesh. Although the fruit is edible, is not commercially cultivated, however it is occasionally sold as a landscape plant under the erroneous name Actinidia melandra.
National symbols of New Zealand are used to represent what is unique about the nation, reflecting different aspects of its cultural life and history.
