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Species
Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Dcne.
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Fiveleaf akebia, also known as chocolate vine, is a woody perennial plant that grows either as a twining vine or a groundcover. It has slender stems that are green when young and brown at maturity. The leaves are dull blue-green in color and alternate along the stem. Each leaf is divided into five stalked leaflets that meet at a central juncture. Leaflets are 1½ to 3 inches long and are notched at the tip. The flowers are reddish to purple-brown, about 1 inch across, and have a sweet fragrance likened to chocolate. Flowering occurs in springtime (March-April). The fruits, if produced at all, are large, soft, edible sausage-shaped pods 2¼ to 4 inches in length, that ripen in late September to early October. The inside of the pod has a whitish pulpy core with many tiny black seeds. Akebia is deciduous in cooler climates but may remain evergreen in warmer regions, such as Louisiana.
Young plants can be pulled by hand. Cutting can be done any time of year and vines should be cut to the ground. Vines may be dug up, removing as much of the roots as possible. For large infestations, a systemic herbicide containing glyphosate or triclopyr is effective.
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Rights holder/Author | U.S. National Park Service |
Source | http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/akqu.htm |
- Plant: woody deciduous, perennial plant that grows either as a twining vine or a groundcover; slender stems are green when young becoming brown when mature.
- Leaves: alternate, dull blue-green, divided into five stalked leaflets that meet at a central juncture; leaflets are 1½-3 in. long, entire (non-toothed), oval shaped and notched at the tip.
- Flowers, fruits and seeds: flowers are reddish to purple-brown, about 1 in. across, and have a sweet fragrance likened to chocolate; female flowers are chocolate-purple, male flowers are lighter rosy purple; spring flowering; fruits, if produced at all, are large, soft, edible sausage-shaped pods 2¼-4 in. in length, that ripen in late summer to fall.
- Spreads: primarily by vegetative means; infrequently by seed.
- Look-alikes: Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), native to the eastern U.S., has palmate leaves with five leaflets that are toothed.
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Rights holder/Author | U.S. National Park Service |
Source | http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/akqu.htm |
Fiveleaf akebia is a vigorous vine that grows as a groundcover and climbs shrubs and trees by twining. Once established, its dense growth crowds out native plants.
A tall climber, climbing up to 6 m. or more, branched, glabrous. Leaves digitate, long stalked; leaflets 5, ovate, obovate to obovate-oblong or elliptic, 3-6 cm. long, emarginate at apex, glabrous, glaucous beneath. Racemes axillary monoecious. Flowers fragrant, females slightly larger and with longer pedicels than males. Female flowers purplish-brown, 2.5-3 cm. in diam. with broad elliptic sepals. Male flowers rosy-purple, much smaller. Fruit 6-10 (-12) cm. long, purple-violet, with glaucous bloom.
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Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200008288 |
Akebia can form an impenetrable groundcover and when climbing shrubs and trees forms a dense tangle that creates deep shade for the vegetation it covers.
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Rights holder/Author | U.S. National Park Service |
Source | http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/akqu.htm |
Woody climbers, deciduous. Stems grayish brown, slender, cylindric; lenticels prominent, small, orbicular. Winter bud outer scales imbricate, pale red-brown. Petiole slender, 4.5--10 cm; petiolules slender, 0.8--1.5(--2.5) cm; leaflets (3--)5(--7), obovate to obovate-elliptic, papery, abaxially glaucous, adaxially dark green, base rounded to broadly cuneate, apex rounded and usually emarginate and cuspidate; lateral leaflets 2--5 × 1.5--2.5 cm; terminal leaflet 2.5--5(--7) cm. Racemes fascicled, 6--12 cm; bracts imbricate, scaly; peduncle ca. 2.5 cm, axillary on short branches. Flowers slightly fragrant. Male flowers: 4--8 (--11). Pedicel slender, 7--10 mm. Sepals 3(--5), pale purple, occasionally pale green or white, broadly cucullate-ovate, 6--8 × 4--6 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 6(or 7), straight at first, incurved at length; filaments very short; anthers oblong. Pistillodes 3--6, small. Female flowers: pedicel slender, 2--4(--5) cm. Sepals dark purple, occasionally green or white, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 1--2 × 0.8--1.5 cm. Staminode 6--9. Carpels 3--6(--9). Fruit purplish at maturity, straight or slightly incurved, oblong to ellipsoid, 5--8 × 3--4 cm. Seeds ovoid-oblong, compressed, pulp white; seed coat brown to black, shiny. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Aug.
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Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200008288 |
Akebia quinata (Chocolate Vine or Five-leaf Akebia) is a shrub that is native to Japan, China and Korea, and naturalized in the eastern United States from Georgia to Michigan to Massachusetts.[1][2][3]
Outline[edit]
It grows to 10 metres or more in height and has compound leaves with five leaflets. The flowers are clustered in racemes and are chocolate-scented, with three or four sepals. The fruits are sausage-shaped pods which contain edible pulp.[1][4] The gelatinous placentation is littered with seeds but have a sweet flavor, so they used to be enjoyed by children playing out in the countryside in the olden days in Japan[citation needed] . The rind, with a slight bitter taste, is used as vegetable, e.g., stuffed with ground meat and deep-fried. The vines are traditionally used for basket-weaving.[5]
In China, A. quinata is referred to as 木通 ("mù tōng" (Pinyin) or "mu tung" (Wade-Giles)) meaning "woody thoroughgoing (plant)". It is also occasionally known as 通草 ("tōng cǎo" (Pinyin) or "tung tsao" (Wade-Giles)) meaning "throroughgoing grass". In the Chinese pharmacopoeia it is believed to be therapeutic as a diuretic, antiphlogistic, galactagogue and analgesic. The principal use of the herb in China is as a traditional remedy for insufficient lactation in nursing mothers. The medicinal part of the plant is the woody stem which is sliced in transverse sections and prepared as a decoction. The stem contains approximately 30% potassium salts thus giving the diuretic action.[6]
A. quinata is listed in the National Pest Plant Accord list which identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale, commercial propagation and distribution across New Zealand.
Gallery[edit]
female flower and 5 male flowers in Mount Ibuki |
fruit | sketch |
See also[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akebia quinata. |
Wikispecies has information related to: Akebia quinata |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Levy-Yamamori, Ran; Ran Levy; Gerard Taaffe (2004). Garden Plants of Japan. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-650-7. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ "Akebia quinata". Flora of China. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
- ^ Flora of North America vol 3
- ^ Decaisne, Joseph. Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle 1: 195, pl. 13a. 1839.
- ^ taken from ja:アケビ (2011.11.3(Thu) 12:08)
- ^ Reid, Daniel (2001), "A Handbook of Chinese Healing Herbs", Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 962-593-988-1. Retrieved on 2009-05-20.
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Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akebia_quinata&oldid=626432280 |
Fiveleaf akebia was brought to the United States in 1845 as an ornamental which eventually escaped from cultivation and has since become naturalized in warmer climates.
Plants , deciduous to semi-evergreen, climbing to 12 m, glabrous. Leaves: petiole 1.6-12.5 cm; leaflets mostly 5, petiolules 0.2-2.2 cm, blades oblong to ovate-elliptic, 0.7-8.2 × 0.4-4.2 cm, base rounded, margins entire, apex retuse. Inflorescences pendent, 4.5-12 cm; pedicel with basal bracts. Flowers fragrant. Staminate flowers 4-15 per inflorescence, 1.2-1.6 cm diam.; sepals oblong to ovate or elliptic, 5-9 mm; stamens 4-5 mm. Pistillate flowers (0-)1-5 per inflorescence, 2-3 cm diam.; sepals elliptic to ovate or nearly orbiculate, 10 16mm; pistils 3-7, 1 or more maturing. Follicles glaucous, violet to dark purple, oblong, 5-15 cm. Seeds black, ovoid, embedded in whitish pulp.
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Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200008288 |