OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Akebia quinata

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Akebia quinata

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 078-01-001:

Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae

 

COMMON NAME:
Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150201_679

February    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150201_685

February    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_198

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Likely to become a serious invasive alien in the Southeast in the next decades, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_200

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

It forms dense mats in natural forests and is difficult to eradicate, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_202

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_203

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_204

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Five broadly oval leaflets arranged in a palm fan shape, per Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE compound leaves of vines

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_207

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Long-stalked clusters of small flowers have fragrance likened to chocolate, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_208

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_212

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150407_214

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Male flwrs smaller in terminal clusters; female 1-1.5" wide, on long stalks, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm150422_394

April    Jackson County    NC

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

Susan Lochridge    slo_20140404

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

Susan Lochridge    slo_20140404b

April    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_551

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_554

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Its vigorous climbing vines cover and kill small trees and shrubs, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_559

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Leaflets obovate to elliptic to oblong, terminal leaflet usually largest, per A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010).

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_620

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_622

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_623

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140814_624

August    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

image of Akebia quinata, Five-leaf Akebia, Chocolate-vine

JK Marlow    jkm140922_851

September    Greenville County    SC

Swamp Rabbit Trail

Holding its own with Kudzu.

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Akebia quinata

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Akebia quinata

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 078-01-001:
Akebia quinata   FAMILY Lardizabalaceae

 

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45

Woody vine
Perennial
Monoecious

Habitat: Escaped from cultivation to roadbanks, suburban woodlands, and floodplains, per Weakley's Flora

Non-native: Japan, China & Korea

Rare now, likely to be a serious invasive in the Southeast over the next decade

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.


INVASIVE

This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:

 

LEAVES:
Deciduous/Semi-evergreen
Palmately compound: 5 leaflets
Alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Purplish/ Purple
3-merous
3 sepals (usually)
Petals absent
6 stamens in staminate flowers
Functionally unisexual

FRUIT:
Summer
Purple/Violet
Follicle

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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