Actinidia five small petals. Most of the species are dioecious with separate male and female plants, but some are monoecious. The fruit is a large berry containing numerous small seeds; in most species, the fruit is edible. In particular, this genus is known for the species "Actinidia deliciosa", the kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, and for the hardy ornamental "A. kolomikta". "Actinidia" macrofossils have been recovered from the late Zanclean stage of Pliocene sites in Pocapaglia, Italy. The 40–60 species of "Actinidia" include: Kiwifruit is a cultivar group of "A. deliciosa", and hardy kiwi is the species "Actinidia arguta", which has small
Frieda's Inc. which were a specialty item in those days. After the success of selling mushrooms, Caplan opened her own company in 1962 with mushrooms as the primary item. She started with a small stand at the Los Angeles wholesale produce market. Once titled the “Queen of Kiwi,” Caplan gained international recognition from bringing the Kiwifruit to the United States. This fruit was discovered in New Zealand and originally known as "Chinese gooseberries". Caplan renamed this fruit after the country's flightless bird, the Kiwi. She convinced California growers to plant the fruit and soon California had more than 700 Kiwifruit growers. Caplan's