Finger-leaved Akebia

Finger-leaved Akebia
	Finger-leaved Akebia ( Akebia quinata )
Systematics
Class :	Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
	Eudicotyledons
Order :	Buttercups (Ranunculales)
Family :	Finger fruit family (Lardizabalaceae)
Genre :	Akebie ( Akebia )
Type :	Finger-leaved Akebia
Scientific name
	Akebia quinata
	( Houtt .) Decne.

The finger-leaved acebia ( Akebia quinata ), also five-leaved acebia or, because of the spicy smell of the flowers, called chocolate wine, is a species of the finger fruit family (Lardizabalaceae). It grows wild in the mountainous forests of East Asia (China, Korea , Japan).

description

Illustration of the Akebia quinata

Akebia quinata is a tropical, woody, evergreen or deciduous climber and reaches heights or lengths of 12 meters.

Their leaves are usually composed of five parts, hand-shaped. The mostly entire to slightly cupped and short stalked, about 2.5–6.5 centimeters long, glabrous leaflets are ovate to obovate and dark green on top, bluish green on the underside. The terminal leaflet is usually the largest and slightly larger, the 1–2 cm long leaflet stalks are runny. At the top they are rounded and mostly indented and often (finely) spiky. The petiole is 5–10 centimeters long. The stipules are usually missing.

Akebia quinata is monoecious , the flowering period is April to May. She is protogynous , so female. The slightly fragrant and stalked, functionally unisexual flowers with a simple flower envelope are grouped in axillary, mixed racemes , the petals are missing. There are small bracts . The three petaloid sepals are each boat-shaped. The flowers are either pink, reddish or purple to purple or white in color. The female flowers are long stalked and about 2.5 cm in size, the male are short stalked and smaller, about 1–1.5 cm. The female flowers have several (up to 9) free pistils with sessile scars and some staminodes. The male flowers have some (6.7), relatively short stamens with large anthers and very short stamens and some (up to 6) short pistillodes.

The more or less purple, slightly leathery, smooth and rather bizarre-looking, finger- or sausage-shaped and many-seeded, narrow-egg-shaped to ellipsoidal, sometimes slightly curved follicles of the Akebie ripen from September to October. They are about 5–12 centimeters long with a whitish, slightly firm pulp. They appear individually or in groups in a pelvic fruit . The smooth seeds in the center, in the gelatinous, sticky and edible placental tissue (pulp), are blackish and 4-6 millimeters in size, with a small, white aril .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 16 or 32.

Location

The finger-leaved Akebia prefers to be in a sunny or partially shaded location in a sheltered location. The earth should be rather loamy, moist and rich in nutrients. However, it is adaptable and also thrives in sandy, less moist soil.

use

In Europe it is used as an ornamental plant for greening facades due to its long adherence to leaves and its rapid growth , but it is hardly widespread because it devours easily. The frost-tolerant plant is hardy (zone 5) .

The fruits or the soft pulp in the center are edible and have a slightly sweet taste. The leaves can be used as tea.

Remedies

In China and Japan, the dried bark of the Akebia is considered a medicinal product and is recognized as such by the Japanese Ministry of Social Affairs. It has a diuretic effect , is anti-inflammatory, helps with missing menstruation and breastfeeding. In addition, the fruit is said to have cancer-healing properties and the roots to reduce fever. In a study on contraceptive plants in China, Akebia was also ranked 13th.