Actinidia chinensis "var." setosa, also known as Taiwanese kiwifruit, is a sub-species of "Actinidia chinensis", a flowering plant in the Chinese gooseberry family Actinidiaceae. The taxon is native to Taiwan.
Taxonomy.
The taxon was first formally described in 1952 by Hui-lin Li, based on a specimen collected by Ernest Henry Wilson collected in October 1908 from Alishan, Taiwan. Li distinguished "Setosa" due to its thinner, relatively larger and much narrower leaves, which always had pointed apices, and because specimens of the plants consistently showed coarse hairs on the upper surface of leaves. In 1985 the taxonomy of "Actinidia" was revised by Chou-Fen Liang and A. R. Ferguson, who raised the taxon to species level, naming it "Actinidia setosa". In the 2007 edition of the "Flora of China", the taxon name was revised again, returning the preferred binomial nomenclature to "Actinidia chinensis" var. "setosa".
Phylogenetic analysis has shown that "Actinidia chinensis "var." setosa" is more closely related to "Actinidia chinensis "var." deliciosa" than to "Actinidia chinensis "var." chinensis".
Habitat.
The species is a liana, and grows in temperate biomes. The subspecies is endemic to Taiwan. The taxon grows in mountain forests, between a height of above sea-level.
Hybridisation.
The taxon can form hybrid forms with "Actinidia chinensis "var." deliciosa". While "Actinidia chinensis "var."chinensis" and "Actinidia chinensis "var." deliciosa" form hybrids in the wild due to overlapping ranges in central south China, this does not occur for "Actinidia chinensis" var. "setosa", due to its wild range being restricted to Taiwan.
Domestication.
A cultivar of "Actinidia chinensis "var." setosa" called No. 9, collected from Ma Mountain in Taichung County, is being investigated for potential cultivation as a commercial species.