Trees, shrubs, or woody vines. Leaves alternate, simple, shortly or long petiolate, not stipulate. Flowers bisexual or unisexual or plants polygamous or functionally dioecious, usually fascicled, cymose, or paniculate. Sepals (2 or 3 or)5, imbricate, rarely valvate. Petals (4 or)5, sometimes more, imbricate. Stamens 10 to numerous, distinct or adnate to base of petals, hypogynous; anthers 2-celled, versatile, dehiscing by apical pores or longitudinally. Ovary superior, disk absent, locules and carpels 3-5 or more; placentation axile; ovules anatropous with a single integument, 10 or more per locule; styles as many as carpels, distinct or connate (then only one style), generally persistent. Fruit a berry or leathery capsule. Seeds not arillate, with usually large embryos and abundant endosperm.

Economically, kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa) is an important fruit, which originated in central China and is especially common along the Yangtze River (well known as yang-tao). Now, it is widely cultivated throughout the world.

For additional information see the paper by X. W. Li, J. Q. Li, and D. D. Soejarto (Acta Phytotax. Sin. 45: 633-660. 2007).

Liang Chou-fen, Chen Yong-chang & Wang Yu-sheng. 1984. Actinidiaceae (excluding Sladenia). In: Feng Kuo-mei, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 49(2): 195-301, 309-334.

Three genera and ca. 357 species: Asia and the Americas; three genera (one endemic) and 66 species (52 endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Jianqiang (李建强), Li Xinwei (李新伟); Djaja Djendoel Soejarto)