The kiwifruit is the edible of a of the and between this and other species in the genus . The Actinidia is native to .

The most common of kiwifruit are oval, about the size of a large hen's egg (58 cm / 23 in long and 4.55.5 cm / 1¾2 in diameter). It has a fibrous, dull brown-green skin and bright green or golden flesh with rows of tiny, black, edible seeds. The fruit has a soft texture and a unique flavour, and today is a commercial crop in several countries, mainly in Italy, China, and New Zealand.

Also known as the Chinese Gooseberry, the fruit was renamed for export marketing reasons in the 1950s; briefly to melonette, and then by New Zealand exporters to kiwifruit. This latter name comes from the a flightless bird and New Zealand's , and also a colloquial name for the New Zealand people.

To avoid confusion with the bird and the people, the fruit is always called "kiwifruit" in New Zealand, Ireland and Australia. However, in other countries, kiwifruit is often referred to colloquially as "kiwi".