Actinidiaceae

Actinidiaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Ericales. It contains two genera, Actinidia and Saurauia. The most economically important member is Actinidia deliciosa, the kiwifruit, and several other cultivated taxa in the genus Actinidia. Saurauia comprises tropical trees and shrubs found in the Americas and parts of Asia.

Actinidia species are woody climbers or vines with simple, alternately arranged leaves and panicles of small flowers. Many Actinidia species are dioecious, with separate male and female plants required for fruit production. The fruits are berries with sweet pulp and numerous seeds. Saurauia species are mainly trees or shrubs with similar small flowers, and their fruits vary by species but are not widely cultivated.

In cultivation, kiwifruit is grown for fresh fruit and employs training as vines; breeding programs focus on fruit quality, cold tolerance, and disease resistance. The family is distributed across temperate and tropical regions, with Actinidia native to East Asia and Saurauia widespread in tropical regions of the Americas and Asia.

Taxonomically, Actinidiaceae is recognized within Ericales, and relationships among its members have been clarified by molecular analyses but remain an area of ongoing study.