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    Home»Fruits»Facts about Chocolate Vine ~ Akebia quinata
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    Facts about Chocolate Vine ~ Akebia quinata

    By SylviaDecember 22, 2020Updated:January 13, 2021No Comments13 Mins Read
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    Chocolate vine Quick Facts
    Name: Chocolate vine
    Scientific Name: Akebia quinata
    Origin Japan, China and Korea
    Colors Initially light green, turning pink to purplish with lighter speckles
    Shapes Uncommon, large, soft, edible sausage-shaped pods are straight or slightly incurved, oblong to ellipsoid about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long
    Flesh colors Whitish
    Taste Bitter
    Health benefits Beneficial for amenorrhea, problems related to the breast, diabetes, dropsy, cold, headaches, general weakness, hernia, lumbago, Uti, scanty lactation and rheumatoid arthritis
    Akebia quinata, commonly known as chocolate vine, five-leaf chocolate vine is a woody vine in the family Lardizabalaceae (Lardizabala family). The plant is native to Japan, China and Korea, and invasive in the eastern United States from Georgia to Michigan to Massachusetts. It was introduced into the U.S. in 1845 as an ornamental where it has become established in areas with warm climates. Some of the popular common names of the plant include Akebi, Eureumdeonggul, Mu tong fruit, Urum, Five leaf akebia, Chocolate Vine, Raisin vine and Five-leaf. Genus name is the Latinized version of the Japanese name akebi for these twining shrubs. Specific epithet means having five parts, in reference to the five-leaflet palmate leaves. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The fruits are sometimes sold as food in local markets.

    Chocolate Vine Facts

    Name Chocolate vine
    Scientific Name Akebia quinata
    Native Japan, China and Korea, and invasive in the eastern United States from Georgia to Michigan to Massachusetts
    Common Names Akebi, Eureumdeonggul, Mu tong fruit, Urum, Five leaf akebia, Chocolate Vine, Raisin vine, Five-leaf
    Name in Other Languages Arabic: أكيبيا كويناتا
    Bulgarian:  Akebiya kuinata (Акебия куината) Aromatni tsvetove (Ароматни цветове), Dekorativni plodove (Декоративни плодове), shokoladova loza (шоколадова лоза)
    Chinese: Mu tong ( 木通)   bai mu tong, son ye mu tong
    Danish: Femfingret akebia
    Dutch: Klimbes, Schijnaugurk, Klimaugurk
    English:  Chocolate vine, Five-leaf akebia, Raisin vine, Five-leaf
    Finnish:  Akebia, Kastanjaköynnös, Rinneakebia
    French:  Akébie à cinq feuilles, Akébia, feuilles
    German:  Fingerblättrige akebie, fuenfblaettrige akebie
    Hungarian: Ötlevélkéjű akébia
    Japanese:  Akebi (アケビ), yusura-ume (ユスラウメ)
    Korean:  Euleum (으름)  Urum, eureumdeonggul (으름덩굴)
    Lithuanian: Penkialapė akebija
    Netherlands: Klimbes, schijnaugurk
    Persian: مو شکلاتی
    Polish: Akebia pięciolistkowa
    Russian:  Akebia kuinata (Акебиа куината), Akebiya pyaternaya (Акебия пятерная), Shokoladova loza (Шоколадова лоза), akebia pyaternoye
    Serbian: Akebija (Акебија), petosilna akebija (петосилна акебија)
    Swedish:  Fembladig akebia
    Turkish:  Çikolata sarmaşığı
    Plant Growth Habit Invasive, vigorous, fast growing, woody, deciduous to evergreen climbing, trailing vine or groundcover
    Growing Climates Woods, hedges and thickets in mountainous areas, forest margins along streams, scrub on mountain slopes, forest edges, streams banks , forest lands
    Soil Prefers light, medium, and heavy soils but requires a well-drained yet moist soil
    Plant Size 40 feet (12 m) long
    Stem Stems are greyish brown, slender and cylindrical with small, prominent lenticels that have the shape of a flat ring or disk. They are thin and green when young but turn brown and somewhat woody as the plants mature
    Bark Reddish to gray-brown, developing interlacing ridges and furrows
    Twigs Slender, red-brown; buds small, imbricate, rounded to wedge-shaped and reddish-brown; leaf scars raised with 6 or more bundle scars
    Leaf Leaves are alternate along the stems or cluster on the branchlets and are divided into five, or sometimes three to four or up to seven leaflets.
    Flowering season April to May
    Flower Flowers are monoecious, apetalous, with both staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers appearing in the same raceme. Flowers are often hidden by the foliage, but are quite interesting on close inspection and have a pleasant fragrance
    Fruit Shape & Size Uncommon, large, soft, edible sausage-shaped pods are straight or slightly incurved, oblong to ellipsoid about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long, tipped like a banana
    Fruit Color Initially light green, turning pink to purplish with lighter speckles
    Flesh Color Whitish
    Seed Ovoid-oblong and compressed
    Propagation By Seed, Cutting, Division
    Taste Bitter
    Plant Parts Used Fruit, Stem, leaves and roots
    Season September to October

    Plant Description

    Chocolate vine is an invasive, vigorous, fast growing, woody, deciduous to evergreen climbing, trailing vine or groundcover plant that normally grows about 40 feet (12 m) long. The plant is found growing in woods, hedges and thickets in mountainous areas, forest margins along streams, scrub on mountain slopes, forest edges, streams banks and forest lands. It prefers light, medium, and heavy soils but requires a well-drained yet moist soil. Twigs are slender, red-brown; buds are small, imbricate, rounded to wedge-shaped and reddish-brown. Leaf scars are raised with 6 or more bundle scars. Bark is reddish to gray-brown, developing interlacing ridges and furrows.

    Stem

    Stem is woody, round, to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter at the base, with numerous branching stems twining for support on plants or natural trellises or forming ground cover and rooting where nodes contact soil. Lime green and smooth, becoming dotted with many brownish dots (lenticels), then light and dark gray striated and finally light gray speckled with raised gray dots. Leaf scars are circular and cleft, protruding alternately or in clusters along the stem. Divergent buds are a dark rich brown at maturity with glabrous imbricate bud scales. Bark of old stems are fairly smooth compared to many vines with gray-brown color to gray flushed with an overall purplish haze.

    Leaves

    The petiole is slender about 4.5–10 cm. Its petiolules are slender 1.5 –2.5 cm. Leaves have several leaflets typically 5–7 whose midribs all radiate from one point. The leaves are alternate along the stems or cluster on the branchlets and are divided into five, or sometimes three to four or up to seven leaflets. The papery leaflets are obovate to obovate-elliptic. The leaflets are abaxially glaucous (whitish underneath), adaxially dark green (dark green above) with bases which are rounded to broadly cuneate. The apex, that is the point furthest from the point of attachment, is rounded and usually emarginated (notched) or cuspidate (with a point). The lateral leaflets measure 2–5 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide, while the terminal leaflets are 2.5–7 cm. The racemes are clustered or bundled together measuring 6–12 cm.

    Leaf Arrangement Alternate
    Leaf Venation Palmate
    Leaf Persistence Evergreen
    Leaf Type Palmately Compound
    Leaf Blade 5 – 10 cm
    Leaf Shape Oblong
    Leaf Margins Entire
    Color(growing season) Green
    Color(changing season) Green, Purple

     

    Flower

    Flowers are monoecious, apetalous, with both staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers appearing in the same raceme. Flowers are often hidden by the foliage, but are quite interesting on close inspection and have a pleasant fragrance. The plant produces staminate and pistillate flowers that are found in pendulous, racemose clusters. Male flowers are 4–8(–11) mm. The stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem slender is 7-10 mm with three sepals 3(-5), pale purple, occasionally pale green or white, broadly cucullate-ovate, 6–8 mm long and 4–6 mm wide, apex rounded. Stamens 6 (or 7) are straight at first, incurved at length; filaments very short; anthers oblong. Pistillodes 3–6, small. Female flowers are pedicel slender, 2–4(–5) cm. Sepals are dark purple, occasionally green or white, broadly elliptic to sub orbicular, 1–2 cm long and 0.8–1.5 cm.  

    Although both male and female flowers are present in the racemes, there appears to be a degree of self-sterility and more than one clone is necessary for good fruit set. Flowers tend to open at night and are only of minor visual effectiveness, but are valued for their strong vanilla fragrance. Flowering normally takes place in between April to May.

    Flower Showiness True
    Flower Size Range 1.5 – 3
    Flower Type Raceme
    Flower Sexuality Diecious (Monosexual)
    Flower Scent Pleasant
    Flower Color Brown, Red, Purple, White
    Seasons Spring

     

    Fruits

    Fertile flowers give way to dangling clusters of 1 to 5 sausage-shaped, fleshy violet fruit pods. It is 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long, tipped like a banana and having a lengthwise suture along one side which split open in fall to reveal small black seeds.  Fruits are initially light green, turning pink to purplish with lighter speckles and a waxy coating as they mature. Fruit starts ripen in late September to early October. When ripe the skin splits to reveal a pulpy, edible inner core that splits further to expose many (100+) imbedded black seeds in a whitish pulp. The whitish pulp is edible. Seeds are ovoid-oblong and compressed. Seed coat is brown to black and shiny.

    Fruit Type

     

    Follicle
    Fruit Size Range 7 – 10
    Fruit Colors Purple, Blue
    Seasons Spring
    Fruit Showiness True

     

    Male-and-female-flowers-of-Chocolate-vine
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    Plant-Illustration-of-Chocolate-vine
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    Health benefits of Chocolate Vine

    Listed below are some of the popular health benefits of chocolate vine

    1. Metal disorders

    Pills made with Chocolate vine seed (peeled), white poria, boxthorn seeds, Acorus tatarinowii root, poria with hostwood, platycladi seed, cortex lycii radicis, polygala tenuifolia, Chinese yam, roots of polygonatum (steamed), cinnabar and honey is taken orally with ginseng soup to treat metal disorder.

    2. Eyebrow loss

    Decoction of Chocolate vine seed, realgar and mastic is taken with wine to treat eyebrow loss.

    3. Pain relieving

    Decoction of Chocolate vine, poria cocos, ophiopogon root and pumice can be used as a remedy for hernia caused penis pain.

    4. Excretory System

    Decoction of cynanchum paniculatum, couch grass rhizome, akebia stem, chingma abutilon seed, soapstone, betel nut, dianthus superbus and sodium sulfate can be used to treat difficulty with urination.

    A decoction of juncus effusus stem, akebia stem, dianthus superbus and plantain seed is taken orally to reduce internal fever and promote diuresis.

    5. Anti-inflammatory

    Chocolate vine is a very good anti-inflammatory agent which helps with arthritis, joint pain, back pain, lumbago swelling, and redness.

    6. Induces Menstruation

    This herb also helps to bring about monthly periods thus regulating menstruation.

    7. Powerful Diuretic

    Chocolate vine is a very good diuretic which helps with water retention and urinary challenges.

    8. Great for Headaches

    Chocolate vine also helps with headaches and migraines when taken as a tea.

    9. Anti-tumor Agent

    New studies are being done about using Chocolate vine for the treatment of breast and digestive tract tumors.

    10. Helps with Weakness

    Chocolate vine also helps with general feelings of weakness helping to strengthen the body in general.

    11. Inflamed Kidneys and Stomach

    Chocolate vine is a great agent for soothing away irritations of the stomach and kidneys thus helping to prevent further disease.

    12. Great for the Liver

    Being a good anti-inflammatory agent Chocolate vine also helps to detox and soothe the liver.

    13. Antibiotic

    Chocolate vine is also a good antibiotic herb for getting rid of bacterial infections.

    14. High in Potassium

    Chocolate vine is also high in potassium for good heart contractions and water regulation.

    15. Lowers Fevers

    Chocolate vine roots can be made into a tea that works well for lowering fevers.

    16. Powerful Pain Reliever

    The dried stems made into a tea are a very good for getting rid of pain.

    17. Mouth Sores

    Chocolate vine used as a tea is also great for treating mouth irritation and sores.

    18. Painful Urinary Infections

    Chocolate vine also works well for getting rid of painful urinary tract infections.

    19. Increases Circulation

    Chocolate vine increases circulation to all parts of the body including the heart.

    20. Helps with Skin Challenges

    This herb also works well for skin rashes, irritations, and pain and swelling of the skin.

    Traditional uses and benefits of Chocolate vine

    • Stems are anodyne, antifungal, anti-phlogistic, bitter, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, galactogogue, resolvent, and stimulant, stomachic and vulnerary.
    • When taken internally, it controls bacterial and fungal infections and is used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, lack of menstruation, to improve lactation etc.
    • The fruit is anti-rheumatic, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic.
    • It has a use in traditional medicines in which urinary tract infections, scanty lactation and rheumatoid arthritis are treated.
    • Fruits have been shown to have stimulatory effects on blood circulation and to have anticancer properties.
    • The dried stems are used in the form of an analgesic, antiphlogistic and diuretic.
    • In China, practitioners of herbal medicine also recommend this drug in the form of a diuretic as well as an anti-phlogistic for treating conditions like amenorrhea, problems related to the breast, diabetes, dropsy, cold, headaches, general weakness, hernia, lumbago, and rheumatism, in addition to inflamed kidneys and stomach.
    • The herb is also effective for inducing lactation and menstruation.
    • Root of Chocolate vine is used in the form of an anti-pyretic substance.
    • Dried stems can be taken internally to treat both fungal and bacterial infections.
    • Roots are known for their cooling properties that help alleviate fever.
    • Fruits are also noted for their anti-tumor properties and are widely recognized as a natural treatment for various types of cancer.
    • Pills made from its seeds and other essential herbs are traditionally taken with ginseng soup to address different mental disorders.
    • Decoction made from Chocolate vine stems may help relieve pain related to hernia.
    • The herb is generally taken as a remedy to menstrual issues.
    • The plant is commonly used as a remedy to various other diseases including diabetes, dropsy, cold, and headache as well as lumbago and general weakness.
    • Chocolate vine improves the body’s digestive and cardiac profiles.
    • Chocolate vine supports both male and female reproductive health.

    Culinary Uses

    • Fruit can be consumed raw.
    • Bitter skin of the fruit is fried and eaten.
    • Leaves are used as a tea substitute.
    • Rind, with a slight bitter taste, is used as vegetable, e.g., stuffed with ground meat and deep-fried.
    • Soft young shoots are used in salads or for salt pickling.
    • The empty pod is stuffed and deep fried.
    • The fruit is also used to make wine.

    Other Facts

    • The plant was ranked 13th in a survey of 250 potential antifertility plants in China.
    • Peeled stems are very pliable and can be used in basket making.
    • Plants have sometimes been used as a ground cover, but their method of growth does not really lend themselves to this use.
    • Chocolate vine is a specimen plant used in ornamental gardens and managed landscapes.
    • Chocolate vine seeds produce oil used in traditional soap making in China.
    • Chocolate vine has also been used in the form of a groundcover.

    Prevention and Control

    Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product’s label.

    Control

    Physical/Mechanical Control

    Vines of Chocolate vine which are growing on the ground can be pulled by hand. For climbing vines, first cut the stems near the ground to kill the upper portions in the tree canopies. The plant below the cut will remain alive and must be pulled repeatedly over many growing seasons. Young vines that regrow can be cut any time of year using a weed whip or mower. Vines must be cut down repeatedly over several years until no regrowth occurs. Thorough mulching may be an additional tool to suppress regrowth after an initial pulling and cutting.

    Chemical Control

    Treatment with 2-4% triclopyr in water can be applied to control Chocolate vine. Best results occur when treated during spring/early summer many desirable plants are present during this time. Therefore a fall/dormant treatment followed by spot treatments during the growing season are often advisable. To control climbing vines in trees, cut large stems and immediately treat the stumps with an herbicide, triclopyr or a glyphosate. A subsequent foliar application of may be required to control new seedlings and any re-sprouts.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=18857#null

    https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=2103

    https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Akebia+quinata

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/3933

    http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a149

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=AKQU

    https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/608/Lists/Fourth%20Edition/Akebiaquinata.pdf

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akebia_quinata

    http://www.narc.gov.jo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=2103

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/369/#b

    https://enacademic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11533911

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2627104

    http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=188

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/AKEQI

    http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=948

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    Chocolate vine Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Akebia quinata

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Sub Division Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Magnoliidae
    Super Order Ranunculanae
    Order Ranunculales
    Family Lardizabalaceae (Lardizabala family)
    Genus Akebia Decne. (chocolate vine)
    Species Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne. (chocolate vine)
    Synonyms
    • Akebia micrantha Nakai
    • Akebia quinata f. albiflora Y.N.Lee
    • Akebia quinata f. diplochlamys (Makino) T.Shimizu
    • Akebia quinata f. polyphylla (Nakai) Hiyama
    • Akebia quinata f. viridiflora Makino
    • Akebia quinata var. diplochlamys Makino
    • Akebia quinata var. polyphylla Nakai
    • Akebia quinata var. yechi W.C.Cheng
    • Akebia quinata var. yiehii Cheng
    • Akebia sempervirens Nakai
    • Rajania quinata Thunb.
    • Rajania quinata Thunb. ex Houtt.
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