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Akebi
Akebia quinata
アケビ
A deciduous woody climber native to mountain fields. In autumn, purple fruits split open to reveal sweet white pulp and black seeds. Distinguished by its 5 leaflets; small purple flowers appear in spring.
Identification Points
- ✓Leaves palmately compound with 5 leaflets
- ✓Purple fruit dehisces longitudinally in autumn, exposing white pulp
- ✓Monoecious, but female and male flowers borne in separate inflorescences
Habitat
Forest edges and secondary woodlands in mountain fields
Season
April–May (flowers), September–October (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf dissection
Dissected
Leaf shape
Palmate
Habitat
Mountain
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Stipules
Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Phylogenetic Positionアケビ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Basal eudicots > Ranunculales > Lardizabalaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene
Evolution Notes
Lardizabalaceae belongs to Ranunculales; dehiscent fruits that expose their pulp are an adaptation for seed dispersal by large birds and mammals.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification