Common Name:

General Information

Archakebia apetala is a climbing perennial plant with woody stems
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern central China (Gansu, Shaanxi, northern Sichuan)

Habitat

Growing on slopes in open deciduous forest; at elevations from 500 - 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Flies, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Archakebia apetala is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant. The young growth in spring, however, is likely to be susceptable to damage by frost.
Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[]. Succeeds in acid or alkaline soils[].
The plant is usually monoecious, producing racemes of flowers with females near the base and males above. Occasional plants, however, are monoecious, producing flowers of one sex only[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[]. The thick-walled, leathery fruit contains numerous ovoid seeds around 6mm long, surrounded by a sweet, gelatinous pulp[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Surface sow in a light position[]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[]. Stored seed should be given 1 month cold stratification[, ] and can be very difficult to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[, ]. The cuttings can be slow to root[].
Cuttings can also be taken of soft wood in spring[].
Root cuttings, December in a warm greenhouse[].
Layering in early spring[]. Very easy, the plants usually self-layer and so all you need to do is dig up the new plants and plant them out directly into their permanent positions.