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Silver Vine
Actinidia polygama
マタタビ
A deciduous woody climber found at forest edges in mountain areas. In summer, the tips of some leaves turn white (leaf bleaching), a highly conspicuous feature. The fruit is edible and medicinal, and is famously attractive to cats due to the compounds it contains.
Identification Points
- ✓Upper leaves turn white during the flowering period (leaf bleaching)
- ✓White five-petaled flowers bloom in leaf axils
- ✓Fruit is an elliptical berry, edible (gall-deformed fruits are used medicinally)
Habitat
Mountain forest edges and along valleys
Season
June–July (flowers and leaf whitening); September–October (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Vine
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf shape
Round
Habitat
Mountain
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Petal count
Many
Stipules
Present
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionマタタビ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Ericales > Actinidiaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 55 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
The Actinidiaceae includes the ancestor of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), a lineage that evolved vitamin C-rich fruits.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification