Species

Akebia quinata

Etymology

Akebia: An adaptation of the Japanese name for these plants
quinata: From the Latin quinque 'five', referring to the five-lobed leaves

Common Name(s)

akebia

Family

Lardizabalaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

AKEQUI

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants

Habitat

Terrestrial. In the open to semi shade along forest edges or road sides, climbing over structures or trees.

Features

A twining vine with palmate leaves comprising of five or less leaflets that are from 35 to 75 mm long. Has chocolate-purple coloured fragrant flowers 25mm across. Purple-violet flattened sausage shape pods to 100mm. (T. McCluggage pers com)

Similar Taxa

A climber with relatively large palmately compound leaves, Akebia quinata is quite distinctive in New Zealand. The fragrant chocolate-purple flowers that give rise to the common name chocolate vine are produced August to October.

Flowering

August, September, October

Flower Colours

Brown,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

February

Year Naturalised

1940

Origin

Japan, China, Korea

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

Reproduction
Spreads vegetatively and by seed.

Seed
Plants are almost certainly wholly or partly self-sterile. Viable seed is produced

Dispersal
Humans (T. McCluggage pers com)

Tolerances
Shade and drought tolerant. (T. McCluggage pers com)

This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010