Firmiana STERCULIACEAE-ACTINIDIACEAE Actinidia 



joined above into a single style, becoming membranous follicles which open long be- 

 fore the seeds are mature. 10 species in Asia, 1 in Africa, 2 in China. (After Karl 

 Joseph von Firmian, 1718-1782, governor of Lombardy.) 



1. Firmiana simplex (L.) W. F. Wight Phoenix Tree \^m (Wu Tung) (R.M. 630). 

 Tree, to 15 m.; fls. VI-VII, petals wanting; fr. XI. China, Japan; locally in An., 

 Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Planted, ornamental. Fig. 240. 



2. Melochia Linn. j§Hg (Yeh K'uei Shu) 

 Herbs (ours), shrubs or small trees with alternate serrate pinnately veined lvs. 

 and perfect fls. in axillary clusters; sepals united at the base; petals present; stamens 

 5, opposite the petals, united into a tube below: ovary 5-celled, becoming a 5-valved 

 loculicidally dehiscent capsule. 50 species, in warm regions; 1 in China. (From 

 Melochieh, the Arabic name of the plant.) 



1. Melochia corchorifolia Linn. (M. concatenata Linn.) Wf^M (Yen Lu K'uei) (M.F. 

 330; F.H.E. 1:91). Herb, to lm.; fls. white to red, VII-VIII; fr. IX-X. Tropical 

 countries; locally in Hup., Ki,, Ku. Field weed. 



109. ACTINIDIACEAE Actinidia Family $K3£$£t (Mi Hou T'ao K'o) 

 Woody vines with alternate simple estipulate lvs.: infl. various: fls. perfect, 

 polygamous or dioecious; stamens 10 or more; anthers versatile, opening by slits: fr. 

 a berry or capsule, niany-seeded. 3 genera with about 285 species, mostly Asiatic; 

 all 3 genera and over 50 species in China. 



1. Actinidia Lindl. MfflfoM ( Mi Hou T ' a0 Shu : Female-monkey-peach Genus) 

 Deciduous twining shrubs with small winter buds enclosed in the swollen base of 

 the petiole: stamens and styles numerous: fr. a many-seeded berry: seeds reticulate- 

 pitted. 36 species, most of them in China. (Greek: actis, ray, referring to the 

 radiating styles.) Fig. 241. 



Key to the Species 



a. Lf. blades gray-stellate-tomentose beneath, broadly oblong, ovate to 

 orbicular, truncate to emarginate, rarely acute or short -acuminate: 

 pith lamellate: fr. subglobose to ellipsoid, densely brown-hairy, 



about 3 cm. across 1- A. chinensis 



aa. Plants glabrous or pubescent, not stellate-hairy. 



Fr. conspicuously spotted with gray or brown lenticels, 3-4x2- 

 2.5 cm., glabrous: pith solid, or slightly lamellate at the center, 

 light orange-colored: lf. blades obovate, ovate-elliptic or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, obliquely rounded or cuneate at base, 



5-13 x 2.5-6.5 cm 2. A. callosa 



Fr. not conspicuously spotted with gray or brown lenticels. 



Pith lamellate, usually brownish: petioles 3.5-8 cm. long: sepals 5 3. A. arguta 

 Pith solid, white: petioles 1-2 cm. long: calyx irregularly split 



into 2 or 3 sepals 4. A. valvata 



1. Actinidia chinensis Planch. ^ (Yang T'ao; Goat Peach) (R.M. 632). Climbing 

 shrub; fls. yellow, V-VI; fr. brown, VIII-IX. China; locally in An., Che., Hon., 

 Hup., Ki., Ku. Forest. 



2. Actinidia callosa Lindl. (R.M. 631). Climbing shrub; fls. white, VI; fr. spotted 



253 



