Actinidiaceae family(Actinidia chinensis)
Actinidiaceae family
Kiwi is a misnomer, since it implies the species is from New Zealand, although this is where the first cultivars were developed in the 1930s. The former name, 'Chinese gooseberry', accurately indicates the fruit's native origin, although the kiwifruit is in no way related to the gooseberry. The fruit, a berry, is produced on a woody deciduous vine. The plants are naturally dioecious, though male branches are grafted onto female vines to provide a pollen source. It is more subtropical than tropical in adaptation, and is able to tolerate light winter frost during the dormant period. In its uses it is similar to the strawberry, though the kiwi is exceptionally rich in vitamin C. Leading production regions are California, New Zealand, and Italy. The fruit's remarkably long ripening period (2 months) enables the fruit to store for long periods of time, or to be shipped afar to markets. This has also made the kiwi a relatively inexpensive year-round fruit. The kiwi has boomed in popularity in the US, from an obscure and expensive novelty fruit to a common, inexpensive item of the American diet, within the last 10 or 15 years.