Actinidia melliana Hand.-mazz.

Climbing shrubs, mid-sized, deciduous. One-and two-year-old branches densely long rusty hispid, lenticels conspicuous; pith white, lamellate. Petiole 1-1.8 cm, densely long rusty hispid; leaf blade abaxially glaucous, oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-obovate, 6-15 × 2.5-9 cm, membranous to papery, both surfaces densely rusty hispid-hirsute throughout or only on midvein and lateral veins, midvein and lateral veins conspicuous abaxially, subconspicuous adaxially, lateral veins 7 or 8 pairs, reticulate veinlets subconspicuous on both surfaces, base cordatulate, margin entire with numerous sharp rigid pointed hairs, apex shortly acuminate to long acuminate. Inflorescences cymose, axillary, 2-branched, up to 10-flowered, densely long rusty hispid; peduncles 3-10 mm; pedicels 5-12 mm; bracts subulate, 4-5 mm. Flowers white. Sepals 5, oblong-ovate, 4-5 mm, abaxially sparsely tomentose. Petals 5, obovate, 8-9 mm, apex rounded. Filaments ca. 2.5 mm; anthers yellow, ca. 1 mm. Ovary globose, densely rusty tomentose; styles ca. 3 mm. Fruit cylindric, 1.6-2.2 cm, glabrous, with conspicuous lenticels and reflexed sepals. Fl. May-Jun, fr. unknown. 2n = 58*.

It is a tropical plant. It grows naturally in Jiangsi, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan Provinces in China in forests between 800-1350 metres.

The fruit is eaten raw or cooked.

It can be grown from seed or cuttings.