Male Flowers of Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）の雄花

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are male flowers of Akebia quinata or commonly known as chocolate vine. I wrote about the plant last month but the post (and the photos in it) was mainly about the female flowers. Then, yesterday I found these. Look at the pink and purple striped flowers! I couldn't help but write about them!

Male flowers of chocolate vine　木通の雄花

Male flowers of Akebia quinata　アケビの雄花

Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Akebia quinata or commonly known as chocolate vine. The shades ranging from pale green to burgundy purple are so chic, aren't they? Chocolate vine is monoecious, meaning it has male and female flowers on the same plant. What look like flowers in these photos are however not flowers but sepals and the objects protruding from the center of the what-look-like-flowers are the female flowers and the smaller pink and purple striped, onion-shaped objects beside the female flowers are their male counterparts. The fruits are edible, though I've never tried.  

Male (smaller striped) and female (protruding from the center of what-look-like-flowers)
flowers of Akebia quinata　木通の雄花と雌花

Before the sepals open　萼片が開く前

Chocolate vine　アケビ

Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Look at these pretty Akebia quinata or more commonly chocolate vine flowers! They're interesting in that its female flowers are far bigger and more colorful than the male ones! The female flowers are mauve and 2 cm in diameter (1st photo) while the male ones are white and less than 1 cm in diameter (2nd photo). It was my first time to see that many male and female flowers growing at the same time. This year must be a good year for the plant. 

Female flowers of Akebia quinata 木通の雌花

Male flowers of chocolate vine アケビの雄花

Buds and Flowers of Akebia Quinata (Chocolate Vine) 木通（アケビ）の花

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These 1 to 2 cm purple buds (1st photo) are akebia quinata or commonly chocolate vine, or more specifically a mass of the male flower buds (smaller, in the front) and a female flower bud (bigger, in the back) of akebia quinata on the same vine. Their beautiful mauve color and cute shape has attracted me since I saw them for the first time last March. 

At that time, however, I mistook them for the fruits of euonymus hamiltonianus or hamilton's spindletree, so in March, I didn't realize I was looking at akebia quinata having male (smaller) and female (bigger) flowers on the same vine (2nd photo). Now with that knowledge, I can enjoy more of these pretty buds and flowers. The more knowledge we've got, the more understanding we have!  

The fruits of chocolate vine are said to be tasty. I said "said to be" because I've never eaten them or seen them sold at supermarkets, just remembering my granddad or dad talking about them a long time ago. Now I've found a chocolate vine growing in my neighborhood, it's time for me to try the fruit!😋  

2021/8 Akebia quinata - Male buds (smaller, front) and a female bud (bigger, back)
2021/8 木通の蕾 - 手前が雄花で後ろが雌花

2021/3 - Male buds on the left and a female flower side by side 雄の蕾（左）と雌花

2021/3 Female flowers 木通の雌花

Euonymus Hamiltonianus (Hamilton's Spindletree) 檀（マユミ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

* On August 18, 2021, I found that this was not Hamilton's spindletree but the buds of akebia quinata or chocolate vine. Please note, however, that I've made no corrections to the original post😂 

 

I believe this is euonymus hamiltonianus, known by the common names Hamilton's spindletree and Himalayan spindle. I said "I believe" because I'm not sure about what they are...

Euonymus hamiltonianus 檀？