Shamrock Akebie

Shamrock Akebie
	Shamrock Akebia ( Akebia trifoliata )
Systematics
Class :	Bedecktsamer (Magnoliopsida)
	Eudicotyledons
Order :	Buttercups (Ranunculales)
Family :	Finger fruit family (Lardizabalaceae)
Genre :	Akebie ( Akebia )
Type :	Shamrock Akebie
Scientific name
	Akebia trifoliata
	( Thunb. ) Koidz.

The clover-leaved acebia ( Akebia trifoliata ), also known as three-leaved acebia , is a species of the finger fruit family (Lardizabalaceae). It grows wild in the mountain forests of East Asia (China, Korea, Japan), is hardy and frost-tolerant up to zone 5 .

description

It is a tropical, shrub-like climber and reaches heights of growth of 9 m. Their leaves are three-ply, composed like a clover, are ovate and dark green in color. Flowering time is April to May. The small, inconspicuous flowers are clustered together and are brown-purple in color. The purple follicles of the Akebia ripen between September and October.

Systematics

One can distinguish three subspecies:

Akebia trifoliata subsp. australis (Diels) T. Shimizu : It occurs in China and Taiwan at altitudes between 300 and 2100 meters.
Akebia trifoliata subsp. longisepala H.N. Qin : It occurs in the Chinese province of Gansu . It is also viewed by some authors as an independent species: Akebia longisepala (HNQin) Christenh.
Akebia trifoliata subsp. trifoliata : It occurs in China and Japan.

use

The fruits are edible and have a slightly sweet taste. The leaves can be used as tea.
In Europe, it is used for greening facades because of its long leaf adhesion and rapid growth ; however, since it is easily devoured, it is hardly common.

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.

photos

Akebia trifoliata
Akebia trifoliata
Flowers of the Akebia trifoliata
Illustration of Akebia trifoliata

swell

Plants for a Future - database entry
Information on the genus in the Flora of China. (engl.); accessed on January 28, 2017

Individual evidence

↑ Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Akebia trifoliata. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved September 11, 2018.

Web links

Commons : Shamrock Akebia ( Akebia trifoliata ) - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

[WCSP-1] Rafaël Govaerts (ed.): Akebia trifoliata. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved September 11, 2018.