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Akebia quinata

Botanic Family

Lardizabalaceae

Author

(Houttuyn) Decaisne

Propagation

C.D.L.S.

Cultivated

C, ornamental, fruit, medicine with cultivars

Offspring

Akebia quinata 'Alba', Akebia quinata 'Rosea', Akebia quinata 'Variegata'

Common Names

• Chocolate Vine
• Five-leaf Akebia
• Mu tong (Pinyin)
• Akebi (Japan)
• Urum (Korea)
• T'ong Ts'ao (China)

Geographical Habitats

• Anhui
• Fujian
• Henan
• E. Hubei
• E. Hunan
• Jiangsu
• N. Jiangxi
• Shaanxi
• Shanxi
• Shandong
• Sichuan
• Zhejiang - China
• Korea
• Honshu
• Kyushu
• Shikoku - Japan

Natural Habitats

• Forest margins
• streamsides & montane scrub
• woodland
• thickets.

Flowering Times

• Apr-May (Japan) Early Spring

Fruiting Times

• Jun-Aug

High climbing glabrous deciduous or semi-evergreen woody twiner, old shoots lenticellate. Palmate leaves with 4-7 coriaceous mucronate leaflets, terminal leaflet to 70mm x 49mm. Axillary racemes to 120mm of slightly scented 35mm wide maroon and purple female flowers with bracts, 3-4 reddish-purple sepals to 15mm long, male smaller & pinkish, 3 purple to pinkish-lavender sepals to 9mm long. Follicles purplish to 100mm x 40mm with white dots at maturity

Garden escapee, naturalised, aggressive weed. Toxic.

Fruit edible. Medicinal uses, young leaves used in tea & salads

Further References

• Rehder 1934
• Bean 1950
• Menninger 1970
• Bailey 1976
• Krussmann 1976
• van der Spuy 1976
• Johns 1979
• Huxley 1992
• Nicholls 1995
• FOC
• FONZ
• GWC 1997
• Mansfeld
• The Plant List 2
• JAA
• FOJ
• Kew
• Wiart