Actinidia fortunatii
Actinidia fortunatii is a woody climber in the family Actinidiaceae, the family that includes kiwifruit. Kew recognises the species from southern China and Vietnam. Finet and Gagnepain published the name in 1906.[1]
Appearance and habitat
A 2007 Vietnamese revision describes vines about five metres long, with purple leaf stalks and bluish leaf undersides. The leaves have heart-shaped bases and toothed edges. Reddish flowers occur singly or in threes; oval fruits reach one to two centimetres.[2]
In Tam Dao National Park, the revision records mountain rainforest around a thousand metres elevation, with flowering from March to May and fruiting in June. These are Vietnamese observations.[2]
Taxonomic disagreement
Kew currently includes Actinidia glaucophylla within A. fortunatii.[1] A 2009 review challenged this broad treatment. After re-examining specimens, its authors argued that the long hairs on young shoots and leaf stalks of A. fortunatii distinguished it from the largely hairless A. glaucophylla. They also called for more material to clarify its relationship with A. henryi.[3]
The disagreement affects how older descriptions should be interpreted: the Vietnamese revision described hairless plants, while the later review favoured a narrower, hairy concept. This account follows Kew's accepted name while retaining that published uncertainty.[2][3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Actinidia fortunatii Finet & Gagnep. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cuong, N. M., Soejarto, D. D. and Li, J. (2007). A taxonomic revision of Actinidiaceae of Vietnam. Blumea 52, 209–243; p.227, doi:10.3767/000651907X608981. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Li, X., Li, J. and Soejarto, D. D. (2009). Advances in the study of the systematics of Actinidia Lindley. Frontiers of Biology 4(1), 55–61, doi:10.1007/s11515-008-0110-2. Accessed 9 October 2026.