Actinidia callosa Lindl.

Actinidia species are trailing or climbing shrubs. Stem and branches strigose, glabrous or tomentose, pith solid or hallow. Leaves simple, alternate, lanceolate-ovate to oblanceolate-elliptic, base obtuse to cuneate, margins dentate, serrate or entire, apex acute to obtuse, membranous, coriaceous or chartaceous, green glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple hairs, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, pinnately veined, veinlets reticulate, petiole glabrous or tomentose, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or subumbellate, cymes or in fascicles. Flowers unisexual or polygamous, pedicellate, bracteate, sepals 5, subequal, imbricate, ovate-oblong, base free or subconnate, glabrous or pubescent outside, persistent, petals 5, imbricate, obovate-elliptic, contorted, white, red, yellow or pink. Male flowers: Stamens numerous, unequal, filaments slender, anthers versatile, 2 loculed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, with rudimentary ovaries and minute styles. Female flowers: Ovary superior, globose, 5 locular or more, ovules numerous in each locule, style 15-30, free, reflexed, elongated after flowering, persistent. Fruit berry, globose-ovoid, glabrous or hairy, spotted with lenticels or not. Seeds numerous, small, pitted, reticulate, immersed in pulp, embryo cylindrical, erect in the centre.

Climbing shrub

Actinidia species flowers dioecious i.e., have staminate male flowers on one plant, and pistillate female flowers on another plant. Or pseudobisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium). Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: May—November.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Scandent or climbing shrubs, deciduous, up to 10 m long. Stem and branches, dark reddish brown or grayish brown, glabrous or sparsely tomentose, pith solid or hallow. Leaves simple, alternate, ovate-obovate to broadly elliptic, about 5-15 x 3-10 cm across, base obtuse, margins denticulate, crenate-serrate to rarely subentire, apex acute to acuminate, membranous, chartaceous, green glabrous or and sparsely pubescent with simple rusty hairs on the midrib and lateral veins beneath, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins about 7-9 on either side of the midrib, pinnately veined, veinlets reticulate, petiole reddish, glabrous, about 1.5-4 cm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or 2-5 in subumbellate cymes or pseudo-umbels, peduncles glabrous or slightly puberulent, about 1-1.5 cm long. Flowers unisexual or polygamous, pedicel glabrous, about 5-15 mm long, bracts minute, sepals 5, subequal, imbricate, ovate-oblong, base free or subconnate, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous, about 3-4 x 2-3 mm across, persistent, petals 5, imbricate, obovate-elliptic, contorted, white, red, yellow or pink, apex obtuse, glabrous, about 5-7 x 3-4 mm across, Male flowers: Stamens numerous, about 3-5 mm long, filaments slender, anthers versatile, 2 loculed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, with rudimentary ovaries and minute styles. Female flowers: Ovary superior, globose, 5 locular or more, hairy, about 1-2 x 1.5 mm across, ovules numerous in each locule, style 15-30, free, reflexed, elongated after flowering, persistent. Fruit berry, globose-ovoid, about 1-1.5 cm across, grayish brown, glabrous or hairy, spotted with brown lenticels. Seeds numerous, about 1.5 mm across, pitted, reticulate, immersed in pulp, embryo cylindrical, erect in the centre, brownish black.

Eurya species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

In subtropical forests, altitude 900-2700 m.

Forests, forest margins, thickets, slopes, streamsides, moist places, cultivated

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.