Actinidiaceae
Trees or shrubs, often climbing, dioecious or gynodioecious. Lvs alternate, exstipulate, simple. Fls usually in axillary cymes or fascicles, actinomorphic. Sepals (4)-5, imbricate. Petals (4)-5, imbricate, or somewhat contorted, deciduous. Stamens nearly always numerous, versatile, inflexed in bud. Ovary superior, 3-many-locular; carpel walls sometimes reaching the central axis. Ovules 1-numerous; styles 5-many, usually persistent. Fr. a berry or hard capsule. Seeds small, numerous, endospermic.
3-4 genera, 300-350 spp., subtropical and tropical Asia, a few in temperate E. Asia, tropical Australia and tropical America.
Actinidiaceae as defined here includes Saurauiaceae. The latter are upright trees or shrubs as compared to the lianes of Actinidiaceae sens. strict.
