• Scientific Name: Akebia quinata (Houttuyn) Decaisne
• Ref: Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. 1: 195, fig. 1(a-c). 1839
• Synonyms: Rajania quinata Thunb. ex Houtt.; Akebia micrantha Nakai
• English Common Name: chocolate vine
• Chinese Common Name: 木通 mùtōng
• Japanese Common Name: アケビ [木通/山女] akebi
• Family: Lardizabalaceae
• Genus: Akebia
• Distribution: Forest margins along streams, scrub on mountain slopes; 300–1500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Henan, E Hubei, E Hunan, Jiangsu, N Jiangxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Zhejiang [Japan, Korea].
• Photo: 03/31/2013

Woody climbers, deciduous. Stems grayish brown, slender, cylindric; lenticels prominent, small, orbicular. Winter bud outer scales imbricate, pale red-brown. Petiole slender, 4.5--10 cm; petiolules slender, 0.8--1.5(--2.5) cm; leaflets (3--)5(--7), obovate to obovate-elliptic, papery, abaxially glaucous, adaxially dark green, base rounded to broadly cuneate, apex rounded and usually emarginate and cuspidate; lateral leaflets 2--5 × 1.5--2.5 cm; terminal leaflet 2.5--5(--7) cm. Racemes fascicled, 6--12 cm; bracts imbricate, scaly; peduncle ca. 2.5 cm, axillary on short branches. Flowers slightly fragrant. Male flowers: 4--8 (--11). Pedicel slender, 7--10 mm. Sepals 3(--5), pale purple, occasionally pale green or white, broadly cucullate-ovate, 6--8 × 4--6 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 6(or 7), straight at first, incurved at length; filaments very short; anthers oblong. Pistillodes 3--6, small. Female flowers: pedicel slender, 2--4(--5) cm. Sepals dark purple, occasionally green or white, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, 1--2 × 0.8--1.5 cm. Staminode 6--9. Carpels 3--6(--9). Fruit purplish at maturity, straight or slightly incurved, oblong to ellipsoid, 5--8 × 3--4 cm. Seeds ovoid-oblong, compressed, pulp white; seed coat brown to black, shiny. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Jun--Aug. (Flora of China)

04/07/2007, Qingliang Peak, Zhejiang

03/26/2017, Hangzhou, Zhejiang