Marshall, =1785=:165. V. LABRUSCA. =3.= (?) Walter, =1788=:242. V.
VULPINA. =4.= (?) Willdenow, =1=:1181. 1797. V. VULPINA. =5.=
Michaux, =2=:231. 1803. =6.= (?) Bartram, _Dom. Enc._, =5=:291.
1804. V. SEROTINA. =7.= (?) Muhlenberg, =1813=:27. V. VULPINA; _V.
cordifolia_; _Winter grape_. =8.= Pursh, =1=:169. 1814. _V.
incisa_; _V. vulpina_; _Winter grape_; _Chicken grape_. =9.=
Nuttall, =1=:143. 1818. =10.= Elliott, =2=:688. 1824. =11.=
Rafinesque, =1830=:15. _V. vulpina_; _Frost grape_; _Winter grape_;
_Fox grape_. =12.= Prince, =1830=:194. _Winter grape_; _Chicken
grape_; _Frost grape_; _V. serotina_; _V. incisa_; _V. vulpina_.
=13.= Torrey, _Fl. of N. Y._, =1=:147. 1843. _Winter grape_; _Frost
grape_. =14.= Le Conte, _Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci._, =6=:273.
1853. V. PULLARIA; _Chicken grape_. =15.= Darlington, _Fl. Cest._,
=1853=:50. _Chicken grape_; _Winter grape_; _Heart-leaved Vitis_.
=16.= Buckley, _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1861=:483. _Winter grape_;
_Fox grape_. =17.= (?) Saunders, _U. S. D. A. Rpt._, =1869=:82, 85,
87. =18.= Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._, =1872=:60. _Winter grape_;
_Frost grape_; _Chicken grape_. =19.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1883=:10,
11, 12, 14, 17. _Frost grape._ =20.= Bush., _Ib._, =1883=:24. =21.=
Munson, _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97, 98. =22.= Ib., _Am. Hort.
Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:133. _Frost grape_; _Sour_ or _Pungent Winter
grape_. =23.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 350.
1887. _V. vulpina_, var. _cordifolia_; _V. vulpina_; _V.
Virginiana_. =24.= Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =25.=
Ib., _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:12. 1890. =26.= Britton and
Brown, =2=:410. 1897. _Frost grape_; _Chicken grape_; _Possum
grape_; _Winter grape_. =27.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:424.
1897. _True Frost grape_; _Chicken grape_; _Raccoon grape_; _V.
pullaria_; _V. vulpina_, var. _cordifolia_. =28.= Beach, _N. Y.
Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:557. 1898. =29.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._,
=56=:218, 231, 240. 1900. _Sour Winter grape_; _Frost grape_. =30.=
Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 76.
Vine very vigorous, climbing. Shoots rather slender; internodes
long, slightly angular, usually glabrous, sometimes slightly
pubescent; diaphragms thick; tendrils intermittent, long, usually
bifid. Leaves with short, broad stipules; leaf-blade medium to
large, cordate, entire or sometimes indistinctly three-lobed;
petiolar sinus deep, usually narrow, acute; margin with rather
coarse angular teeth; point of leaf acuminate; upper surface rather
light green, glossy, glabrous; glabrous or sparingly pubescent
below. Clusters medium to large, loose, with long peduncle. Berries
numerous and small, black, shining, little or no bloom. Seeds
medium in size, rather broad, beak rather short; chalaza oval or
roundish, elevated, very distinct; raphe a distinct, cord-like
ridge. Fruit usually sour and astringent and frequently consisting
of little besides skins and seeds. Leafing, flowering and ripening
fruit very late.
Owing to the fact that Cordifolia and Riparia have been badly confused
in the past, the limits of the habitat of this species are difficult to
determine. Pursh gives the northern limit as Canada, and Buckley speaks
of its being found at Lake Winnipeg, but all other, and some probably
better informed, authorities give the northern limit as New York or the
Great Lakes. The eastern limit is the Atlantic Ocean and the southern
limit the Gulf of Mexico. It extends westward, according to Engelmann,
to the western limits of the wooded portion of the Mississippi Valley in
the North, and, according to Munson, to the Brazos River, Texas, in the
South. It is found along creeks and river banks sometimes mixed with
Riparia, having about the same soil adaptations as that species. It is a
very common species in the Middle States and is frequently found growing
on limestone soils but, according to Viala, is not indigenous to such
soils.
It might be said that this species was first described by Linnaeus in
1753 under the name Vulpina, as his description was from mixed specimens
of Cordifolia and Riparia. The first description, however, of which
there is no question is that of Michaux in 1803. From this time on there
are many descriptions under various names and much disagreement as to
the limits of the species and its relation to Riparia. Engelmann in 1872
states that Riparia is generally a smaller plant than Cordifolia and
that the fruit ripens earlier and is pleasanter tasting. It was still
considered by many botanists that these differences were too slight to
separate the forms as different species, but in 1883, Engelmann further
enumerated other differences which are given under the description of
_Vitis riparia_. Since this time, the specific difference of the two
forms has never been questioned.
Cordifolia makes a good stock for grafting, being vigorous and forming a
good union with most of our cultivated grapes. It is seldom used for
this purpose, however, on account of the difficulty of propagating it by
means of cuttings. For the same reason vines of it are seldom found in
cultivation. It is probably of no importance horticulturally.
=VITIS CORDIFOLIA FOETIDA= Engelm.
=1.= Engelmann, _Am. Nat._, =2=:321. 1868. V. CORDIFOLIA, var.
FOETIDA. =2.= Ib., _Mo. Ent. Rpt._, =1872=:60. =3.= Bailey, _Gray's
Syn. Fl._, =1=:424. 1897. V. CORDIFOLIA, var. FOETIDA.
Apparently the first record of _Vitis cordifolia foetida_ is Engelmann's
mention of it in the _American Naturalist_ of 1868. In 1872 he speaks
as though this is the common Mississippi Valley form, for he says: "In
this valley at least the fruit has a strongly and even fetidly-aromatic
taste". The variety apparently is similar to the typical Cordifolia in
every respect excepting the aromatic fruit.
=VITIS CORDIFOLIA SEMPERVIRENS= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _Rev. Vit._, =5=:165. f. 53. (cited by =2=). =2.=
Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:424. 1897. V. CORDIFOLIA, var.
SEMPERVIRENS. =3.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:78. _fig.
of leaf._
_Vitis cordifolia sempervirens_ is a south-Florida form of Cordifolia
named and first described by Munson in the _Revue Viticole_. It differs
from typical Cordifolia in having leaves which are thicker, narrower,
more oblong, with a long lanceolate point, completely glabrous and more
or less glossy on both surfaces. These leaves remain on the vines very
late in the season. This variety is said to be very resistant to an
excess of lime in the soil.
=VITIS CORDIFOLIA HELLERI= Bailey.
=1.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:424. 1897. V. CORDIFOLIA, var.
HELLERI. =2.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:79. V.
CORDIFOLIA VAR.
_Vitis cordifolia helleri_ is first mentioned by Bailey in 1897. It
differs from the ordinary forms of Cordifolia in having more circular
leaves without the lanceolate point. Viala and Ravaz state that such
forms are found in clay soils. Bailey refers to it as an upland
south-Texas form found at altitudes of from 1600 to 2000 feet.
11. =VITIS BAILEYANA= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:14. 1890. V. VIRGINIANA.
=2.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474, 475. 1890. V. VIRGINIANA. =3.=
Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. _Possum grape._ =4.= Ib.,
_Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20. _V. Virginiana._ =5.= Britton and Brown,
=2=:411. 1897. _V. Virginiana._ =6.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._,
=1=:424. 1897. _Possum grape._ =7.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._,
=56=:231, 240. 1900. _Possum grape._
Vine climbing, but of only medium vigor (less vigorous than
Cordifolia). Canes slender, with short internodes, and with very
many short side shoots; shoots angular, densely whitish or rusty
pubescent or woolly along the angles; mature canes round, nearly
smooth; diaphragms thick; tendrils intermittent, usually trifid.
Leaves with blade long, cordate, frequently smaller than
Cordifolia, shortly but distinctly three-lobed (lobes mostly
pointed and much spreading), bright green, but not shining, above,
gray below, slightly pubescent at maturity only on veins; apex
short, acuminate, acute or blunt; teeth comparatively small and
notched-like, regular, not prominently acute. Clusters large;
peduncle long; pedicel slender, short, making the bunch very
compact. Berries very small, black with little or no bloom,
intensely acid until very ripe or frosted. Seeds small to very
small, slightly notched on top; chalaza depressed, oblong-oval;
raphe broad, slightly distinct. Leafing, flowering and ripening
fruit very late.
This species seems to have been first described by Munson in 1890 under
the name of _Vitis virginiana_. In 1893 he issued a leaflet changing the
name to _Vitis baileyana_.
It is an upland species growing in the mountain valleys (800 feet and
upward) of southwestern Virginia, West Virginia, western North Carolina,
Tennessee, northern Georgia and the uplands of western central Georgia.
Baileyana can be propagated from cuttings only with difficulty. It is of
no importance horticulturally.
12. =VITIS BERLANDIERI= Planch.
=1.= Planchon, _Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris_, =91=:425. 1880.
(cited by =5=). =2.= _Journ. La Vigne amer._, =1880=:318. (cited by
=5.=) =3.= _Gar. Mon._, =23=:25. 1881. _V. aestivalis_, var.
_monticola_; _V. monticola seedling_; _V. cordifolia coriacea_.
=4.= (?) Engelmann, _Bush. Cat._, =1883=:15. V. MONTICOLA. =5.=
Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 341. 1887. _V.
monticola._ =6.= _An. Hort._, =1889=:101. =7.= Munson, _U. S. D. A.
Pom. Bul._, =3=:14. 1890. _V. Monticola_, Mil. =8.= Ib., _Gar. and
For._, =3=:474, 475. 1890. =9.= Ib., _Am. Gard._, =12=:659. 1891.
=10.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20, 22, 29. _V. monticola_, Engelm.
=11.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:425. 1897. _Mountain grape_;
_Spanish grape_; _Fall grape_; _Winter grape_. =12.= Beach, _N. Y.
Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:536, 557. 1898. =13.= Munson, _Tex. Sta.
Bul._, =56=:231, 234, 235, 240, 261. 1900. _fig. Little Mountain
grape._ =14.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 61.
Vine moderately vigorous, climbing; shoots more or less angled and
pubescent; pubescence remaining only in patches on mature wood;
canes mostly with short internodes; diaphragms thick; tendrils
intermittent, long, strong, bifid or trifid. Leaves with small
stipules; leaf-blade rather large, broadly cordate, notched or
shortly three-lobed; petiolar sinus rather open, V- or U-shaped,
margin with broad but rather shallow teeth, rather dark, glossy
green above, grayish pubescence below when young; becoming glabrous
and even glossy except on ribs and veins, when mature. Clusters
large, compact, compound, with long peduncle. Berries small, black,
with thin bloom, juicy, rather tart but pleasant tasting when
thoroughly ripe. Seeds few, medium to small, short, plump, oval or
roundish with short beak; chalaza oval or roundish, distinct; raphe
narrow, slightly distinct to indistinct. Leafing, flowering and
ripening fruit very late.
This species was described under the name _Vitis berlandieri_ by
Planchon in 1880. The description was made from herbarium specimens
collected by the Swiss botanist, Berlandier,[142] in Texas in 1834, and
also from living plants which had been shipped into France. Planchon
states that this is the Monticola of Engelmann, but not the Monticola of
Buckley. Buckley's description is admittedly unsatisfactory but it does
not seem that Planchon is justified in saying that Engelmann was
mistaken when the latter probably had better opportunities for
determining Buckley's meaning than Planchon.
Berlandieri is a native of the limestone hills of southwest Texas and
adjacent Mexico. According to Munson, it grows "in the same region with
_V. monticola_ but is less restricted locally, growing from the tops of
the hills all along down and along the creek bottoms of those regions."
Its great virtue is that it withstands a soil largely composed of lime.
It is superior to all other American species in this respect. This and
its moderate degree of vigor (not quite so vigorous as Cinerea,
according to Munson) has recommended it to the French growers as a stock
for their calcareous soils. The roots are strong, thick and very
resistant to phylloxera.
It is propagated by cuttings with comparative ease, but its varieties
are variable in this respect, some not rooting at all easily. While the
fruit of this species shows a large cluster, the berries are small and
sour, and Berlandieri is not regarded as having any promise for culture
in America.
13. =VITIS CINEREA= Engelm.[143]
=1.= Engelmann, _Gray's Man._, Edition 5. =1867=:679. V.
AESTIVALIS, var. CINEREA. =2.= (?) Ib., _Am. Nat._, =2=:321. 1868.
V. AESTIVALIS, var. CANESCENS. =3.= Ib., _Mo. Ent. Rpt._,
=1872=:61. V. AESTIVALIS, var. CINEREA. =4.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._,
=1883=:10, 11, 12, 14, 16. _Downy grape_ of Mississippi Valley.
=5.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:133. =6.= Ib., _Am. Pom.
Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97, 98. _Ashy-leaved grape_; _Sweet Winter
grape._ =7.= Ib., _Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _Ashy
grape_; _Sweet Winter grape._ =8.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon.
Phan._, =5=:323, 343. 1887. =9.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._,
=3=:14. 1890. =10.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474, 475. 1890. =11.=
Britton and Brown, =2=:409. 1897. _V. aestivalis_, var.
_canescens_; _V. aestivalis_, var. _cinerea_; _Downy grape_. =12.=
Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:425. 1897. _Sweet Winter grape._
=13.= Beach, _N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:536, 557. 1898. =14.=
Munson _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:218, 231, 240. 1900. _Sweet Winter
grape_; _Ashy grape._ =15.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_,
=1903=:42, 80.
Vine vigorous, climbing; shoots more or less angled, covered with
grayish pubescence which persists into winter; diaphragms thick to
very thick; internodes medium to long; tendrils intermittent, long
and strong, bifid. Leaves large, cordate, seldom lobed but
frequently notched; frequently resembling a linden leaf; petiolar
sinus medium in depth and width, rounded; margin shallowly but
sharply toothed; upper surface cobwebby when young, becoming
glabrous and dull when mature; lower surface and petiole covered
with grayish cobwebby pubescence. Cluster large, rather loose;
peduncle long; pedicel slender. Berries small, black, with little
if any bloom. Seeds small, plump, short beak; chalaza round or
oval, distinct; raphe ridge-like, distinct to slightly distinct.
Ripening very late, becoming sweet after frost.
Cinerea is very closely allied to Aestivalis and was for a long time
considered a part of that species. In 1867 Engelmann described it under
the name _Vitis aestivalis_, var. _cinerea_, but in 1883 he made it a
species and it has been generally regarded by botanists that the points
of difference between the two forms are such that the Cinerea deserves
specific recognition.
Its habitat is New York, west to Nebraska and Kansas with about 40
degrees as a northern limit, southward to the Gulf. Cinerea grows along
streams mostly in limy soils, and is seldom found in very dry land. It
covers about the same range as Cordifolia excepting that it grows nearer
the Gulf and extends across the Rio Grande into Mexico.
The species is very late in blooming, later even than Cordifolia. It can
be propagated from cuttings only with difficulty. It is probably of no
importance horticulturally unless it be for wet lands.
=VITIS CINEREA FLORIDANA= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:14. 1890. V. CINEREA,
var. FLORIDANA. =2.= Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. V.
CINEREA, var. FLORIDANA. =3.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:425.
1897. V. CINEREA, var. FLORIDANA.
_Vitis cinerea floridana_ was named by Munson in 1890. It differs from
the regular form of Cinerea in having the growing tips and sometimes the
veins on the under side of the leaves more or less covered with rusty
tomentum. The cluster is also longer-peduncled and more compound. It is
found in Florida and Arkansas.
=VITIS CINEREA CANESCENS= Bailey.
=1.= Engelmann, _Am. Nat._, =2=:321. 1868. V. AESTIVALIS, var.
CANESCENS. =2.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:425. 1897. V.
CINEREA, var. CANESCENS.
_Vitis cinerea canescens_ was first mentioned by Engelmann in 1868 under
the name _Vitis aestivalis_, var. _canescens_. He does not describe it
further than to say that it approaches Cordifolia. Bailey's
determination of its position was made from Engelmann's herbarium
specimens. He says: "A form with rounded or heart-like leaves, the upper
half of the leaf lacking the triangular and 3-lobed shape of the type."
This variety has been found in Missouri, Illinois and Texas.
14. =VITIS ARIZONICA= Engelm.
=1.= Engelmann, _Am. Nat._, =2=:321. 1868. =2.= Parry, _U. S. D. A.
Rpt._, =1870=:416. V. ARIZONENSIS. =3.= Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._,
=1872=:62. =4.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1883=:10, 12, 14, 16. _Arizona
grape._ =5.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:132. _Arizona
grape._ =6.= Ib., _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97. _Arizona grape._
=7.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 342. 1887. _V.
Californica_; _V. Arizonensis_; _V. riparia._ =8.= Munson, _Soc.
Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _Arizona grape._ =9.= Ib., _Gar.
and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =10.= Ib., _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._,
=3=:10. 1890. =11.= Ib., _Am. Gard._, =12=:660. 1891. _Canyon
grape._ =12.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. _Gulch
grape._ =13.= Munson, _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20. _Canon grape._ =14.=
Husmann, =1895=:4, 189. =15.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:425.
1897. _Canon grape._ =16.= Beach, _N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:536,
557. 1898. =17.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:230, 239. 1900.
_Downy Canyon grape._ =18.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_,
=1903=:102.
Vine weak in growth, shrubby or climbing moderately, numerous
angular branchlets; diaphragms thick. Leaves mostly small, cordate,
with rather open rounded petiolar sinus, entire or indistinctly
three-lobed (sometimes distinctly lobed on young plants), coarsely
and regularly toothed; thick, rigid, slightly rugose above, when
young, white-woolly below, becoming nearly glabrous with age.
Clusters small, compound; peduncle slender, of medium length.
Berries black, small to medium in size; pleasant in taste. Seeds
two to three of medium size; chalaza oval in shape, slightly
distinct; raphe flat, usually inconspicuous, rarely prominent.
Arizonica was named and first described by Engelmann in 1868. It was
later described by Parry, botanist of the Department of Agriculture,
from specimens sent to him by Dr. Charles Smart, an army surgeon
stationed in southern Arizona, in 1867. Parry says that Engelmann
considered it a distinct species and had provisionally named it _Vitis
arizonensis_. As to the name, this is evidently an error in quoting
Engelmann.
Its habitat is "Western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Chihuahua (Mexico),
and South Utah."
This grape is adapted only to the arid districts of the West. When
raised in humid climates it is subject to the attacks of mildew and
black-rot. As might be expected from its habitat, it endures intense
drouths. It grows well on limestone, pebbly, or alluvial soils. It has a
considerable degree of resistance to phylloxera, grows readily from
cuttings, and according to Munson, can withstand zero temperature
without injury. As the European grapes can be raised in its native
country, it is not there regarded as valuable, although the fruit is
said to be rich in sugar and to be of pure flavor. It has been used in
California as a stock, but is not regarded in any section very favorably
and its use has never become extensive probably owing to its lack of
vigor. It suckers less than Rupestris. Arizonica blossoms about the time
of Labrusca. It is of no value to the grape-growers of the East and
probably of none to those of the West.
=VITIS ARIZONICA GLABRA= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. V. ARIZONICA, var.
GLABRA. =2.= Ib., _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:10. 1890. V.
ARIZONICA, var. GLABRA. =3.= Ib., _Am. Gard._, =12=:660. 1891. V.
ARIZONICA, var. GLABRA. =4.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20. V.
ARIZONICA, var. GLABRA. =5.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:426.
1897. V. ARIZONICA, var. GLABRA.
_Vitis arizonica glabra_ was named by Munson in 1890. It differs from
the regular form in having glossy, glabrous leaves which are mostly
larger and thinner. The variety is found in the region from Albuquerque,
New Mexico to Truxton, Arizona, and northward into southern Utah.
15. =VITIS CALIFORNICA= Benth.[144]
=1.= Bentham, _Bot. Sulph. Voy._, =1844=:10. =2.= Buckley, _U. S.
Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1861=:479, 483. _California grape_. =3.=
Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._, =1872=:62. =4.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._,
=1883=:10, 11, 12, 14, 15. _California grape_. =5.= Munson, _Am.
Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:137. =6.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon.
Phan._, =5=:323, 339. 1887. =7.= Munson, _Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci.
Rpt._, =1887=:59. _California grape_. =8.= Hammond, _Gar. and
For._, =2=:39. 1889. _Wild grape_. =9.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom.
Bul._, =3=:10. 1890. =10.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474, 475.
1890. =11.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. =12.=
Husmann, =1895=:4, 189. =13.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:426.
1897. =14.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:230, 239. 1900. _North
California grape_. =15.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42,
50.
Vine vigorous, climbing, but shrubby if left without support;
shoots cylindrical or slightly angled; diaphragms of medium
thickness to rather thin; tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid.
Leaves with stipules medium to small; leaf broadly cordate;
petiolar sinus variable, usually wide and open, usually entire,
sometimes slightly tri-lobed; teeth variable in size, blunt; smooth
above and varying below from glabrous to much whitish pubescence.
Clusters small to medium, usually compact; peduncle mostly long and
slender. Berries small, black with rather abundant bloom. Seeds
small to medium, plump, slightly notched, if at all; chalaza
oblong-oval; raphe slightly distinct or invisible.
Californica was named and described by Bentham in 1844. It was later
mentioned by Newberry, Torrey and others. As these descriptions were all
made either from herbarium specimens or by botanists traveling through
the region, they are not so definite as those made later.
The habitat of Californica is the northern half of California along
streams west of the Sierra Nevada mountains and north into Rogue River
Valley in southern Oregon, its northern limit.
This species is interesting in that it is a native of a region of North
America not originally infested with phylloxera, but in which phylloxera
has since been introduced. As might be suspected, it has little more
resistance to this insect than Vinifera and less than any other
American species. The roots are thick and fleshy, resembling Vinifera.
The fruit, while pleasant, is too small to be of cultural value. It is
too tender for planting in the open ground where the thermometer drops
much below freezing. California growers state that it does not flourish
in dry shallow soils. It is very susceptible to attacks of mildew, to
which it usually succumbs when planted east of the Rocky Mountains.
Californica grows readily from cuttings. It is sometimes used in its
native country as an ornamental on account of its highly colored autumn
foliage but is otherwise of no value.
16. =VITIS GIRDIANA= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _California
grape._ =2.= Ib., _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:10. 1890. =3.= Ib.,
_Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =4.= Ib., _Am. Gard._, =12=:660.
1891. _Valley grape._ =5.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:426.
1897. _Valley grape._ =6.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:230, 239.
1900. _South California grape._ =7.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_,
=1903=:50. V. CALIFORNICA, var. GIRDIANA.
Vine vigorous, climbing; shoots scarcely angled, more or less
covered with grayish pubescence; diaphragms medium to thick;
tendrils intermittent, bifid or trifid. Leaves with medium to small
stipules; blade broadly cordate, rather thin, entire or obscurely
three-lobed (sometimes distinctly three-lobed on young shoots);
petiolar sinus usually narrow, rather deep; margin with many small
and acute teeth; under surface covered with thick grayish
persistent pubescence. Cluster medium to large, compound, rather
loose; peduncle of medium length, slender. Berries small, black,
with thin bloom; skin thin but tough; medium to late in ripening.
Sweet when ripe with a sharp pungency in the skin. Seeds similar to
those of _Vitis californica_.
Girdiana was separated from _Vitis californica_ by Munson in 1887. It is
closely allied to, and is by many botanists still considered a variety
of Californica. Wild hybrids with _Vitis vinifera_ are frequently found
in regions where it is indigenous.
Girdiana inhabits southern California in the region west and north of
Yuma and the valleys of southern California southward into Mexico. Its
northern limit is approximately the Mojave desert. The individuals of
the species are very numerous, covering shrubs and trees in the regions
where it grows.
The species is very susceptible to mildew and black-rot, and like
Californica is not resistant to phylloxera. Girdiana is more sensitive
to cold than Vinifera. Analyses show that the fruit of the species is
deficient in sugar and acid. Girdiana is but little known but certainly
is of no value to the grape-growers of the East or North and probably
of none to those of the Southwest.
17. =VITIS DOANIANA= Munson.
=1.= _An. Hort._, =1889=:101. =2.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._,
=3=:9. 1890. =3.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =4.= Ib.,
_Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. _Doan's grape._ =5.= Ib.,
_Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20, 22, 24. _Doan's grape._ =6.= Sears, _Gar.
and For._, =9=:454. 1896. =7.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:427.
1897. =8.= Beach, _N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt._, =17=:536, 557. 1898. =9.=
Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:232, 234, 235, 240, 268. 1900. _fig.
Texas Panhandle Large Grape._ =10.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_,
=1903=:154.
Vine vigorous, climbing or shrubby if left without support; wood on
mature canes cylindrical or slightly angled; diaphragm thin;
tendrils intermittent, bifid, rather weak. Leaves medium in size,
broadly cordate, notched or lobed and with a triangular apex;
petiolar sinus medium in depth, usually narrow; margins with rather
large, notched-like teeth; upper surface of a peculiar
bluish-green, frequently somewhat rugose with more or less
tomentum; lower surface usually with a dense whitish pubescence
which shows also on shoots. Cluster medium to small. Berries
variable in size, average medium, black with a thick bloom. Seeds
somewhat resembling Labrusca but with shorter beak and more
distinct chalaza; has characteristic groove extending from chalaza
to beak.
Doaniana is quite variable, some specimens being nearly glabrous at
maturity while others are densely covered with white pubescence. Munson
has separated the species into two forms which he calls the early
Doaniana and the late Doaniana. The species was described and named by
Munson in 1890.
It is found chiefly in northwest Texas but it ranges from Oklahoma to
beyond the Pecos River in New Mexico. It is considered by Bailey and
Viala to be a probable hybrid with _Vitis candicans_ as one of the
parents. Doaniana is exceedingly hardy, withstanding great cold as well
as great heat. It apparently prefers rather light soils as it is
indigenous to sandbanks along rivers and the beds of sandy ravines.
Munson states that in cultivation it does well in any but very limy
soils. The fruit is of comparatively good quality but the skin possesses
some of the pungency of Candicans. The berries are quite persistent,
hanging to the pedicel some time after ripe. The vines are not
productive. The character of the must is apparently unknown. The roots
are hard, penetrate deeply into the soil, and are resistant to
phylloxera though somewhat variable in this respect. Doaniana grows
readily from cuttings and grafts well in the vineyard. The species
blossoms with or just before Labrusca. It is of doubtful value to the
southern grape-growers and is of no value in the North.
18. =VITIS AESTIVALIS= Michx.
=1.= (?) Marshall, =1785=:165. V. VINIFERA AMERICANA; _American
grape vine_. =2.= (?) Walter, =1788=:242. V. LABRUSCA. =3.=
Michaux, =2=:230. 1803. =4.= Bartram, _Dom. Enc._, =5=:289. 1804.
V. SYLVESTRIS; _V. occidentalis_; _Common Blue grape_; _Bunch
grape_. =5.= Muhlenberg, =1813=:27. V. INTERMEDIA; _V. aestivalis_;
_Summer grape_. =6.= Pursh, =1=:169. 1814. _V. vulpina_; _V.
labrusca_; _Summer grape_. =7.= Nuttall, =1=:143. 1818. =8.=
Elliott, =2=:688. 1824. =9.= Torrey, _Fl. of N. & M. Sta._,
=1826=:121. =10.= Rafinesque, =1830=:9. V. BRACTEATA; _V.
labrusca_; _V. aestivalis_; _Sour grape_. =11.= Prince, =1830=:199.
_V. intermedia_; _V. sylvestris_; _V. occidentalis_; _Summer
grape_; _Little grape_; _Bunch grape_; _Blue grape_. =12.= Torrey,
_Fl. of N. Y._, =1=:146. 1843. _V. intermedia_; _Summer grape_.
=13.= Darlington, =1853=:50. _Little grape_; _Summer grape_. =14.=
Le Conte, _Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci._, =6=:272. 1853. V. ARANEOSUS.
=15.= Ib., _Ib._, =6=:271. 1853. V. BRACTEATA; _V. aestivalis_;
_Duck-shot grape_; _Swamp grape_. =16.= Buckley, _U. S. Pat. Off.
Rpt._, =1861=:481, 482. _Frost grape_; _Chicken grape._ =17.=
Stayman, _Gar. Mon._, =11=:37, 38, 40. 1869. _Summer grape._ =18.=
_Grape Cult._, =1=:4, 7, 113. 1869. =19.= Engelmann, _Mo. Ent.
Rpt._, =1872=:61. _Summer grape._ =20.= Engelmann, _Bush. Cat._,
=1883=:10, 11, 12, 14, 16. _Summer grape._ =21.= Bush, _Ib._,
=1883=:22. =22.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:134. _Summer
grape._ =23.= Ib., _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97, 98. _Summer
grape._ =24.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 334.
=1887.= _Summer grape_; _Chicken grape_; _Little grape_. =25.=
Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =26.= Ib., _U. S. D. A.
Pom. Bul._, =3=:11. 1890. =27.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20, 22,
27, 28. _Summer grape._ =28.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:427.
1897. _Summer grape_; _Bunch grape_; _Pigeon grape_; _V.
sylvestris_; _V. occidentalis_; _V. Americana_; _V. Nortoni_; _V.
labrusca_, var. _aestivalis_; _V. bracteata_; _V. araneosus_. =29.=
Britton and Brown, =2=:409. 1897. _Summer grape_; _Small grape_.
=30.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:231, 234, 266. 1900. =31.=
Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 59.
Vine very vigorous; shoots slightly pubescent or smooth when young;
diaphragms medium to rather thick; tendrils intermittent, usually
bifid. Leaves with short, broad stipules; leaf-blade medium to very
large, rather thin when young but becoming rather thick; petiolar
sinus deep, usually narrow, frequently overlapping; margin rarely
entire, usually three- to five-lobed; teeth dentate, shallow,
medium wide; upper surface rather dark green; lower surface with
more or less reddish or rusty pubescence which, in mature leaves,
usually shows in patches on the ribs and veins; petioles frequently
pubescent. Clusters medium to large, usually long, not much
branched, with long peduncle. Berries small to medium, with
moderate amount of bloom, usually somewhat astringent. Seeds two to
three, of medium size to above, plump, usually smooth, not notched;
chalaza oval, distinct; raphe a distinct cord-like ridge. Leafing
and ripening fruit late to very late. (See Plate.)
_Vitis aestivalis_ is variable, particularly in its leaf characters,
such as quantity of pubescence, size, shape and thickness of leaf. Those
who are most familiar with it are of the opinion that in a general way
the leaves increase in thickness southward and that the pubescence
diminishes in quantity and becomes stiffer on dry, poor soils.
[Illustration: =SHOOT OF= _VITIS AESTIVALIS_]
Aestivalis was probably described by some of the botanists before
Michaux's day but, if so, none of the descriptions is sufficiently
definite and comprehensive to be recognized with certainty. Michaux was
the first to describe it under the name of Aestivalis. It seems to have
been generally known, as Bartram described it a short time later under
the name of _Vitis sylvestris_ with _Vitis occidentalis_ as a synonym.
He says: "This is the most common grape." Owing to the great variation
in the different forms of the species as it was then understood, many of
the later botanists gave descriptions of it which did not agree. This
uncertainty and the difficulty of giving a description which would fit
all of the forms has been relieved in a measure; first, by the new
species which have been created, such as Bicolor, Monticola and Cinerea,
from what would have once been regarded as Aestivalis; and second, by
the description and general acceptance of well-known varietal forms,
such as Lincecumii and Bourquiniana.
The division of the original species has also reduced the habitat
materially, confining it to the southeastern portion of the United
States from southern New York to Florida and westward to the Mississippi
River. Aestivalis grows in thickets and openings in the woods and shows
no such fondness for streams as Riparia or for thick timber as Labrusca,
but is generally confined to uplands. Under favorable circumstances the
vines grow to be very large.
Aestivalis is preeminently a wine grape. The fruit usually has a tart,
acrid taste, due to the presence of a high percentage of acid, but there
is also a large amount of sugar, the scale showing that juice from this
species has a much higher percentage of sugar than the sweeter tasting
Labruscas. The wine made from varieties of Aestivalis is very rich in
coloring matter, and is used by some European vintners to mix with the
must of European sorts in order to give the combined product a higher
color. The berries are destitute of pulp, have a comparatively thin,
tough skin, and a peculiar spicy flavor. The berries hang to the bunch
after becoming ripe much better than do those of Labrusca.
The species thrives in a lighter and shallower soil than Labrusca and
appears to endure drouth better, although not equaling in this respect
either Riparia or Rupestris. A southern or southeastern exposure gives
better results for Aestivalis or Aestivalis hybrid vines than a northern
one. The French growers report that Aestivalis is very liable to
chlorosis on soils which contain much lime. The leaves are never injured
by the sun, and they resist the attacks of insects, such as
leaf-hoppers, better than any other American species under cultivation.
Aestivalis is rarely injured by rot or mildew, according to American
experience, but French growers speak of its being susceptible to both.
The hard roots of Aestivalis enable it to resist phylloxera, and
varieties with any great amount of the blood of this species are seldom
seriously injured by this insect. An objection to Aestivalis, from a
horticultural standpoint, is that it does not root well from cuttings.
Many authorities speak of it as not rooting at all from cuttings, but
this is an overstatement of the facts, as many of the wild and
cultivated varieties are occasionally propagated in this manner, and
some southern nurseries, located in particularly favorable situations,
make a practice of propagating it by this method. It is doubtful,
however, if it could be successfully propagated from cuttings in New
York. Varieties of this species bear grafting well, especially in the
vineyard. Aestivalis blooms just after Labrusca. As might be inferred
from its habitat, most cultivated varieties of this species require a
longer season to mature their fruit than that of New York. On this
account it is probable that Bicolor, once known as a northern form of
Aestivalis, is more promising horticulturally for the North than the
true Aestivalis of the Southeast.
=VITIS AESTIVALIS LINCECUMII=[145] Munson.
=1.= (?) Rafinesque, =1830=:9. V. MULTILOBA; _Dissected vine_. =2.=
(?) Prince, =1830=:183. V. DIVERSIFOLIA. =3.= _U. S. Pat. Off.
Rpt._, =1847=:199. POST OAK GRAPE. =4.= Buckley, _Ib._, =1861=:485.
V. LINSECOMII; _Post-oak grape_; _Pine-wood grape_. =5.= Ib.,
_Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci._, =1861=:450. V. LINSECOMII. =6.=
Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._, =1874=:74. =7.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._,
=1883=:16, 23. _Post-oak grape._ =8.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._, =1885=:135. V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak._ =9.= Planchon, _De
Candolle's Mon. Phan._ =5=:323, 338. 1887. V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak
grape_; _Vine Wood grape_; _V. aestivalis_, var. _Lincecumii_; _V.
incisifolia_; _V. multiloba?_ =10.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom.
Bul._, =3=:12. 1890. V. LINCECUMII. =11.= Ib., _Gar. and For._,
=3=:474. 1890. V. LINCECUMII. =12.= Ib., _Am. Gard._, =12=:585.
1891. V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak grape_. =13.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc.
Rpt._, =1893=:116. V. LINCECUMII; _Post Oak grape._ =14.= McCluer,
_Ill. Sta. Bul._, =28=:257. 1893. V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak grape_.
=15.= Munson, _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20, 22, 27. _fig._ V.
LINCECUMII; _Texas Post-oak grape_. =16.= Husmann, =1895=:110. V.
LINCECUMII; _Summer grape_; _Post Oak grape_. =17.= Munson, _Rural
N. Y._, =56=:610. 1897. V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak grape_. =18.= _Mo.
Sta. Bul._, =46=:62. 1899. V. LINCECUMII; _Texas Post Oak grape_.
=19.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:218, 231, 234, 235, 240, 261,
264. 1900. _fig._ V. LINCECUMII; _Post-oak grape_. =20.= Bailey,
_Cyc. Am. Hort._, =4=:1954. 1902. _V. diversifolia_; _Post-oak_;
_Pine-wood_; _Turkey grape_. =21.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_,
=1903=:42, 57. V. LINCECUMII; _Post Oak_.
Vine vigorous, sometimes climbing high upon trees, sometimes
forming a bushy clump from two to six feet high; canes cylindrical,
much rusty wool on shoots; tendrils intermittent. Leaves very
large, almost as wide as long; entire or three-, five-, or rarely
seven-lobed; lobes frequently divided; sinuses, including petiolar
sinus, deep; smooth above, and with more or less rusty pubescence
below. (The north-Texas, southwestern Missouri and northern
Arkansas form shows little or no pubescence but has fine prickly
spines at base of shoots and shows much blue bloom on shoots, canes
and the under side of the leaves.) Fruit small to large, usually
larger than typical Aestivalis, usually black with heavy bloom.
Seeds larger than Aestivalis, pear-shaped; chalaza roundish.
Lincecumii seems to have been first described by Rafinesque, in 1830
under the name _Vitis multiloba_. His description fits fairly well, and
as the source from which the vines were secured is within the habitat of
the species, there appears but little doubt as to its correctness. In
the same year Prince gives a very brief description of a grape from
Texas under the name _Vitis diversifolia_ which is probably this grape.
The first description of the variety (or species) in such detail that it
could not be mistaken was that of Buckley in 1861, as _Vitis
linsecomii_.
It inhabits the eastern half of Texas, western Louisiana, Indian
Territory, Arkansas and southern Missouri on high sandy land, frequently
climbing post-oak trees, hence the name, Post-oak grape, by which it is
locally known.
Lincecumii has attracted considerable attention through the work of H.
Jaeger and T. V. Munson in domesticating it, both of whom considered it
one of the most, if not the most, promising form from which to secure
cultivated varieties for the Southwest. The qualities which recommended
it to them are: First, its vigor; second, its capacity to withstand rot
and mildew; third, its hardiness and capacity to endure hot and dry
summers without injury; and fourth, the large cluster and berry which
were found on certain of the wild vines. It requires a longer season to
mature than that of New York and is, consequently, of but little
interest to grape-growers in this State. The fruit is characteristic
because of its dense bloom, firm, yet tender texture and the peculiar
so-called Post-oak flavor. The cultivated varieties have given
satisfaction in many sections of the central western and southern
states. Like Aestivalis, it is difficult to propagate from cuttings.
The north-Texas glaucous form of this variety mentioned in the technical
description above is the _Vitis aestivalis glauca_ of Bailey. This is
the type of Lincecumii that Munson has used in his breeding work.
=VITIS AESTIVALIS BOURQUINIANA= Bailey.[146]
=1.= Garber, _Gar. Mon._, =1=:75. 1859. =2.= Engelmann, _Bush.
Cat._, =1883=:16. (VARIETIES OF SOUTHERN ORIGIN). =3.= Bush, _Ib._,
=1883=:23. SOUTHERN AESTIVALIS. =4.= _An. Hort._, =1889=:101. V.
BOURQUINA. =5.= Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474, 475. 1890. V.
BOURQUINIANA; _Southern Aestivalis_. =6.= Ib., _U. S. D. A. Pom.
Bul._, =3=:12. 1890. V. BOURQUINIANA. =7.= Ib., _Am. Gard._,
=12=:584. 1891. V. BOURQUINIANA; _Southern Aestivalis_. =8.=
Popenoe and Mason, _Kan. Sta. Bul._, =44=:117. 1893. V.
BOURQUINIANA. =9.= Munson, _Bush. Cat._, =1894=:20, 22, 27. V.
BOURQUINIANA; _Southern Aestivalis_. =10.= Husmann, =1895=:6, 8.
V. BOURQUINIANA. =11.= Munson, _Tex. Farm and Ranch_, Feb. 8,
=1896=:10. V. BOURQUINIANA; _Southern Aestivalis_. =12.= Bailey,
_Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:428. 1897. =13.= Ib., _Ev. Nat. Fr._,
=1898=:81, 83, 114. =14.= Munson, _Am. Gard._, =20=:1688. 1899. V.
BOURQUINIANA. =15.= Ib., _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:231, 240, 261.
1900. V. BOURQUINIANA; _Southern Aestivalis_. =16.= Viala and
Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:178. V. BOURQUINIANA.
Bourquiniana greatly resembles Aestivalis and differs chiefly from this
species in having thinner leaves and in that the shoots and under side
of the leaves are only slightly reddish-brown in color and the
pubescence usually disappears at maturity; this pubescence is mostly of
an ashy or dun color. The leaves on some of the vines are more deeply
lobed than is at all common in Aestivalis. The fruit is considerably
larger than that of Aestivalis, sweeter and more juicy.
The botanical variety, Bourquiniana, is known only in cultivation. It is
mentioned by Garber in 1859 and by Engelmann in 1883. Speaking of
Aestivalis the latter says: "Unfortunately the typical forms cannot be
propagated by cuttings and there are a number of varieties which,
originating from a southern home, are not quite hardy here but on the
other hand have the advantage of being readily propagated by slips in
some favorable localities. * * * Unfortunately no wild plant from which
these varieties might have sprung is yet known but must be looked for in
the mountains and hills of the Carolinas and Georgia and only when found
in a wild state can we correctly judge of their botanical status."
The name Bourquiniana was given by Munson, who ranks the group as a
species. He includes therein many southern varieties the most important
of which are: Herbemont, Bertrand, Cunningham, and Lenoir, these he
groups in the Herbemont section; and Devereaux, Louisiana and Warren, he
puts in the Devereaux section. Munson has traced the history of this
interesting group and states that it was brought from southern France to
America over 150 years ago by the Bourquin family of Savannah, Georgia.
Many botanists have been of the opinion that Bourquiniana is a hybrid.
Engelmann says: "I will only state here that a slight suspicion exists
of their being hybrids between _V. aestivalis_ and some form of
_vinifera_ though the seeds are entirely those of the former and also
the resistance to phylloxera." Millardet considers Bourquiniana to be a
mixed hybrid of Aestivalis, Cinerea and Vinifera. The hybrid supposition
is certainly corroborated to a degree at least by the characters being
more or less intermediate between the parent species and also by the
fact that up to date no wild form of Bourquiniana has been found.
Munson's derivation of the origin has not been accepted by either French
or American botanists. In this connection Bailey says: "It is
unassumable that a native grape distributed through the Mediterranean
region could have escaped for centuries the critical search of European
botanists and the knowledge of hundreds of generations of vignerons to
be discovered at last transplanted in the new world." Bush says: "This
reminds us forcibly of the '_Pedro Ximenes_' (called also White Green
Riesling), which was believed to have been brought to Spain from the
banks of the _Moselle_ by the man whose name it bears." Count Odart, a
celebrated ampelograph, wittily said: "If he (Ximenes) took any he took
ALL, for no _such_ vine grows now north of the Pyrenees.' Thus we also
think: If Mr. Bourquin took any of the above grapes he took ALL, for no
_Herbemont_ or _Lenoir_ can now be found native in Europe."
The only northern variety of grape of any importance that is supposed to
have Bourquiniana blood is the Delaware,[147] and in this case only a
fraction of Bourquiniana blood is presumably present.
Bourquiniana can be propagated from cuttings more easily than the
typical Aestivalis but not so readily as Labrusca, Riparia or Vinifera.
Many of the varieties of Bourquiniana show a marked susceptibility to
mildew and black-rot; in fact, the whole Herbemont group is much
inferior in this respect to the Norton group of Aestivalis. The roots
are somewhat hard, branch rather freely and are quite resistant to
phylloxera.
19. =VITIS BICOLOR= Le Conte.[148]
=1.= Le Conte, _Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci._, =6=:272. 1853. _V.
aestivalis_ (Darlington). =2.= Ib., _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._,
=1857=:230. _Two-colored-leaved vine._ =3.= Munson, _Soc. Prom. Ag.
Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. V. ARGENTIFOLIA; _Blue grape_. =4.= _An.
Hort._, =1889=:101. =5.= Munson, _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890.
=6.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:12. 1890. =7.= Ib., _Am.
Gard._, =12=:585. 1891. _Blue grape_; _Northern Summer grape_.
=8.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. _Blue grape_;
_Northern aestivalis_. =9.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:428.
1897. _Blue grape_; _Northern Summer grape_. =10.= Britton and
Brown, =2=:409. 1897. _Blue grape_; _Winter grape_; _V.
aestivalis_, var. _bicolor_. =11.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._,
=56=:231, 234, 240, 266. 1900. _Blue grape._ =12.= Viala and Ravaz,
_Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 59.
Vine vigorous, climbing; shoots cylindrical or slightly angled,
with rather long internodes, generally perfectly glabrous, usually
showing much blue bloom, sometimes spiny at base; diaphragms medium
to thick; tendrils intermittent, long, usually bifid. Leaves with
short, broad stipules; leaf-blade medium to very large;
roundish-cordate, usually three-, sometimes on older growth
shallowly five-lobed, rarely entire; petiolar sinus variable in
depth, usually rather narrow; margin irregularly dentate; teeth
acuminate; glabrous above, usually glabrous below and showing much
blue bloom which sometimes disappears late in the season; young
leaves sometimes slightly pubescent; petioles very long. Cluster of
medium size, compact, usually simple; peduncle long. Berries small
to medium, black with much blue bloom, rather acid but pleasant
tasting when ripe. Seeds small, plump, broadly oval, very short
beak; chalaza oval, raised, distinct; raphe distinct, showing as a
cord-like ridge.
Bicolor is readily distinguished from Aestivalis by the absence of the
reddish pubescence, and by the bloom on the under side of the leaves and
is distinguished from the glaucous form of Lincecumii by the smaller
fruit and seeds. The species blooms slightly later than Aestivalis and
Lincecumii. It was named and described by Le Conte in 1853 and has been
generally recognized as a distinct species by later botanists.
The habitat of Bicolor is to the north of that of Aestivalis, occupying
the northeastern, whereas Aestivalis occupies the southeastern quarter
of the United States. Like Aestivalis it is not confined to streams and
river-banks but frequently grows on higher land also. It is found in
north Missouri, Illinois, southwestern Wisconsin, Indiana, southern
Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, southwestern Ontario,
New Jersey and Maryland, and is by some botanists reported as far south
as western North Carolina and west Tennessee.
The horticultural characters of Bicolor are much the same as those of
Aestivalis. About the only points of difference are that it is much
hardier (some of the Wisconsin vines stand a temperature as low as 20
degrees below zero); it is said to be slightly less resistant to mildew
and more resistant to phylloxera. Like Aestivalis, Bicolor does not
thrive on limy soils and it is difficult to propagate from cuttings.
The horticultural possibilities of Bicolor are probably much the same as
those of Aestivalis, though many believe it to be more promising for the
North. It is as yet cultivated but little. Its chief defect for
domestication is the small size of the fruit.
20. =VITIS CARIBÆA= De Candolle.[149]
=1.= De Candolle, _Prodr._, =1=:634. 1824 (cited by Watson). =2.=
Chapman, _Fl. Sou. States_,--:71. (cited by Watson). =3.= Buckley,
_U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1861=:483. =4.= Engelmann, _Bush. Cat._,
=1883=:10, 12, 14, 15. =5.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._,
=1885=:136. _Caloosa._ =6.= (?) Ib., _Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._,
=1887=:59. _Prof. Curtis' grape._ =7.= Planchon, _De Candolle's
Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 330. 1887. =8.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom.
Bul._, =3=:14. 1890. =9.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890.
=10.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1893=:116. =11.= Bailey,
_Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:428. 1897. =12.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am.
Vines_, =1903=:42, 52.
Vine slender, climbing; shoots more or less woolly, or rarely
nearly glabrous; diaphragms medium to thick; tendrils intermittent,
rarely continuous, bifid or frequently trifid. Leaves cordate,
usually entire when mature, frequently acuminate pointed; teeth
shallow, wide, mucronate, slightly rugose above, thick whitish or
rusty pubescence below; stipules small. Clusters large, long, with
long, slender peduncle. Berries small to very small, purple or
black with thin bloom, intensely acid until very ripe. Seeds
usually but one or two to the berry, small to very small (Engelmann
states that the Florida forms give larger seeds than those from the
West Indies), notched; chalaza more or less circular, depressed,
usually distinct; raphe a groove or slightly distinct. Very
variable.
Caribæa was first described by De Candolle and later by many other
botanists but the species is not yet well known owing to its habitat.
Caribæa is an inhabitant of the West Indies, middle and southern
Florida, Louisiana, eastern Mexico, Yucatan, and various portions of
tropical America. It is said to grow largely on lowlands.
The species is of no practical interest as it does not thrive and soon
dies in temperate climates. Its horticultural characters are unknown.
21. =VITIS CANDICANS= Engelm.
=1.= Engelmann, _Gray's Pl. Lindh._, =2=:166. 1845. =2.= _U. S.
Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1847=:198. MUSTANG GRAPE. =3.= Engelmann, _Gray's
Pl. Wright._, =1=:32. 1852. =4.= Vanzandt, _Gar. Mon._, =1=:166.
1859. MUSTANG GRAPE. =5.= Affleck, _Mag. Hort._, =26=:98. 1860.
MUSTANG GRAPE. =6.= Buckley, _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1861=:482. V.
MUSTANGENSIS; _Mustang grape_. =7.= Engelmann, _Am. Nat._, =2=:321.
1868. _Mustang grape._ =8.= Koch, _Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt._,
=1868=:82. V. MUSTANGENSIS; _Mustang grape_. =9.= Engelmann, _Mo.
Ent. Rpt._, =1874=:76. _V. Mustangensis_; _Mustang grape._ =10.=
Ib., _Bush. Cat._, =1883=: 10, 11, 12, 14, 15. _V. Mustangensis_;
_Mustang grape._ =11.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=: 137.
_V. Mustangensis._ =12.= Ib., _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97, 98.
_Mustang grape._ =13.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._,
=1887=:323, 326. _V. Mustangensis_; _Mustang grape._ =14.= Munson,
_Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _Mustang grape._ =15.= Ib.,
_U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:10. 1890. =16.= Ib., _Bush. Cat._,
=1894=:20, 22, 25. _Mustang grape._ =17.= Ib., _Rural N. Y._,
=56=:610. 1897. MUSTANG. =18.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:428.
1897. _Mustang grape._ =19.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:232,
234, 240, 267. 1900. _Mustang grape._ =20.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am.
Vines_, =1903=:42, 54.
Vine very vigorous, climbing; shoots and petioles densely woolly,
whitish or rusty; diaphragm thick; tendrils intermittent (according
to Munson, rarely four continuous). Leaves with medium to large
stipules; blade small to medium, broadly cordate to reniform ovate,
frequently resembling those of a poplar, entire or in young shoots
and on young vines and sprouts usually deeply from three- to five-,
or even seven-lobed; teeth shallow, sinuate; petiolar sinus
shallow, wide, sometimes lacking; dull, slightly rugose above,
dense whitish pubescence below. Clusters small. Berries medium to
large, black, purple, green, or even whitish, thin blue bloom or
bloomless. Seeds usually three or four, large, short, plump, blunt,
notched; chalaza oval, depressed, indistinct; raphe a broad groove.
Candicans was described and named by Engelmann in his account of certain
plants sent from Texas by Lindheimer. In 1861 it was described by
Buckley who seems to have been unaware of the species having been
previously named.
The habitat of this grape extends from southern Oklahoma, as a northern
limit, southwesterly into Mexico. The western boundary is the Pecos
River. It is found on dry, alluvial, sandy or limestone bottoms or on
limestone bluff lands and is said to be especially abundant along upland
ravines. Candicans grows well on limestone lands enduring as much as 60
per ct. of carbonate of lime in the soil. The species blooms shortly
before Labrusca and a week later than Riparia. It requires the long hot
summers of its native country and will stand extreme drouth but is not
hardy to cold, ten or fifteen degrees below zero killing the vine
outright unless protected; and a lesser degree of cold injuring it
severely. The berries, which are large for wild vines, have thin skins
under which there is a pigment which gives them, when first ripe, a
fiery, pungent taste but which partly disappears with maturity. The
berries are very persistent, clinging to the pedicel long after ripe.
Candicans is difficult to propagate from cuttings. Its roots resist
phylloxera fairly well. It makes a good stock for Vinifera vines in its
native country but owing to the difficulty of propagation is seldom used
for that purpose. In the early days of Texas it was much used for the
making of wine but as it is deficient in sugar, and as the must retains
the acrid, pungent flavor, it does not seem to be well adapted for this
purpose. It is not regarded as having great promise for southern
horticulture and certainly has none for the North.
=VITIS CANDICANS CORIACEA= Bailey.
=1.= Shuttleworth Mss., Herb. Boiss. =2.= Chapman, _Fl. Sou.
States_,--:71 (cited by Watson, Planchon and Bailey). V. CARIBEA,
var. CORIACEA. =3.= Engelmann, _Bush. Cat._, =1883=:15. V.
CANDICANS, Florida form. =4.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._,
=1885=:136. V. CARIBEA; _Caloosa._ =5.= Planchon, _De Candolle's
Mon. Phan._, =5=:323, 345. 1887. V. CORIACEA. =6.= Munson, _Soc.
Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. V. CORIACEA; _Leather-Leaf grape_.
=7.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. V. CORIACEA. =8.= Ib.,
_U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:10, 11. 1890. V. CORIACEA. =9.= Ib.,
_Am. Gard._, =12=:661. 1891. _V. coriacea; Leather-leaf grape._
=10.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:429. 1897. _Leather-leaf
grape; Calloosa grape._ =11.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:232,
240. 1900. V. CORIACEA; _Leather-Leaf grape_. =12.= Viala and
Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 52. V. CORIACEA.
Coriacea is a Florida variety of Candicans, differing from the Texas
form, in having a shorter, somewhat smaller and comparatively thicker
seed; small stipules; quite variable leaves, intermediate in shape
between Labrusca and Candicans; and an absence of the fiery flavor. The
blossoming period is two or three weeks later than the Texas form.
This form of Candicans was named and described by Shuttleworth in a
manuscript now in the Herbarium Boissier at Geneva, Switzerland.
Botanists seem divided as whether to regard it as a separate species or
as a botanical variety. Its habitat is central and southern Florida.
Coriacea is more tender than the regular forms of _Vitis candicans_ and
this alone would make it worthless to the northern cultivator even were
it otherwise valuable.
22. =VITIS SIMPSONI= Munson.
=1.= Munson, _Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _Simpson's
grape._ =2.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474, =475.= 1890. =3.= Ib.,
_U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._, =3=:12. 1890. =4.= Ib., _Am. Gard._,
=12=:586, 661. 1891. =5.= Ib., _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._,
=1893=:116. _Palmetto-leaved grape._ =6.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn.
Fl._, =1=:429. 1897. =7.= Munson, _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:232, 234,
240, 267. 1900. _fig. Simpson's grape._ =8.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am.
Vines_, =1903=:167.
Vine very vigorous, climbing; shoots cylindrical with much brownish
pubescence; diaphragms very thick; tendrils intermittent. Leaves
with stipules short and broad; leaf-blade rather thin, large,
broadly cordate, usually considerably lobed; petiolar sinus of
medium width and depth; margin coarsely toothed; upper surface
slightly rugose and of a dark-green; lower surface with rusty white
pubescence sometimes becoming almost a blue green; the shape of
leaf and amount of pubescence vary widely. Clusters large, loose;
peduncle long; pedicel thick. Berries small to medium, more tender
in pulp and less astringent than _Vitis aestivalis_, black with
moderate amount of bloom. Leafing, blooming, and ripening fruit
late.
_Vitis simpsoni_ was named and briefly described by Munson in 1887. In
1891 he stated that the species is a hybrid of _Vitis coriacea_ (here
considered a variety of _Vitis candicans_) crossed with _Vitis cinerea_.
Bailey states that it is probably a hybrid of Aestivalis crossed with
Coriacea. Some forms of Simpsoni are said to be very difficult to
distinguish from _Vitis labrusca_.
Simpsoni prefers warm, sandy soils and is found in central and southern
Florida. It roots from cuttings with great difficulty; it is tender and
will not withstand cold winters. While it is very resistant to
phylloxera and also to mildew and black-rot, its leaves are said to be
much attacked by leaf-rollers. The blossoming period is just after
Aestivalis. The berries are of good flavor and might be of some value
for the country along the Gulf Coast but it is of no value for the
North.
23. =VITIS LABRUSCA=[150] Linn.[151]
=1.= Linnaeus, _Sp. Pl._, =1=:203. 1753. _V. sylvestris
Virginiana_; _V. vinifera sylvestris americana_. =2.= Marshall,
=1785=:165. V. VULPINA; _Fox grape vine_. =3.= Walter, =1788=:242.
V. TAURINA. =4.= Michaux, =2=:230. 1803. _V. taurina._ =5.=
Bartram, _Dom. Enc._, =5=:289. 1804. V. VULPINA; _Fox grape_. =6.=
Muhlenberg, =1813=:27. _Fox grape._ =7.= Pursh, =1=:169. 1814. _V.
taurina._ =8.= Nuttall, =1=:143. 1818. =9.= Elliott, =2=:689. 1824.
_V. taurina._ =10.= Torrey, _Fl. of N. & M. Sta._, =1826=:120.
=11.= Rafinesque, =1830=:10. V. LATIFOLIA; _V. taurina_; _V.
Labrusca_; _Fox grape_. =12.= Ib., =1830=:11. V. LUTEOLA; _Variable
grape_. =13.= Prince, =1830=:180. V. LABRUSCA, var. NIGRA; _Black
Fox_; _Purple Fox_; _V. taurina_; _V. vulpina_. =14.= Ib.,
=1830=:181. V. LABRUSCA, var. ALBA; _White Fox_. =15.= Ib.,
=1830=:182. V. LABRUSCA, var. ROSEA; _Red Fox_. =16.= Torrey, _Fl.
of N. Y._, =1=:146. 1843. _Fox grape._ =17.= Darlington, _Fl.
Cest._, =1853=:50. _Fox grape_ of the Northern States, not of Va.
=18.= Le Conte, _Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci._, =1853=:270. _V.
sylvestris_; _Fox grape_; _V. occidentalis_; _V. vulpina_; _V.
latifolia_; _V. canina_; _V. luteola_; _V. rugosa_; _V.
ferruginea_; _V. labruscoides_; _V. blanda_; _V. prolifera_; _V.
obovata_. =19.= Ib., _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1857=:228. _Fox
grape_; _V. sylvestris_; _V. occidentalis_; _V. vulpina_; _V.
latifolia_; _V. canina_; _V. luteola_; _V. rugosa_; _V.
ferruginea_; _V. labruscoides_; _V. prolifica_; _V. obovata_. =20.=
Buckley, _Ib._, =1861=:481. _Frost grape._ _Fox grape_ of the
Northern States. =21.= Stayman, _Gar. Mon._, =11=:37, 38, 39, 40.
1869. _Northern Fox Grape._ =22.= Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._,
=1872=:61. _Fox grape_; _Northern Fox grape_. =23.= Ib., _Bush.
Cat._., =1883=:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19. _Fox grape_; _Northern
Fox grape_. =24.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:136. _Fox
grape._ =25.= Ib., _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:97, 98, 101. =26.=
Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon. Phan._, =5=:322, 324. 1887. _Fox
grape_; _Northern Fox grape_; _V. vinifera sylvestris americana_;
_V. latifolia_; _V. canina_; _V. luteola_. =27.= Munson, _Soc.
Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt._, =1887=:59. _Fox grape._ =28.= Pearson, _Gar.
and For._, =2=:584. 1889. =29.= Munson, _U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul._,
=3=:11. 1890. =30.= Ib., _Gar. and For._, =3=:474. 1890. =31.=
Britton and Brown, =2=:408. 1897. _Northern Fox grape_; _Plum
grape_. =32.= Bailey, _Gray's Syn. Fl._, =1=:429. 1897. _Fox
grape_; _Skunk grape_; _V. vulpina_; _V. blandi_. =33.= Munson,
_Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:232, 240. 1899. _Northern Fox grape._ =34.=
Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 45.
Vine moderately vigorous, stocky, climbing; shoots cylindrical,
densely pubescent; diaphragms medium to rather thick; tendrils
continuous, strong, bifid or trifid. Leaves with long, cordate
stipules, leaf-blade large, thick, broadly cordate or roundish;
entire to three-lobed, frequently notched; sinuses rounded;
petiolar sinus variable in depth and width, V-shaped; margin with
rather shallow, acute pointed, scalloped teeth; upper surface more
or less rugose, dark green, on young leaves pubescent, becoming
glabrous when mature; lower surface covered with dense pubescence,
more or less whitish on young leaves, becoming rusty or dun-colored
when mature. Clusters small to medium, more or less compound,
usually shouldered, compact; pedicels thick; peduncle short to
medium. Berries medium to large; skin thick, covered with
considerable bloom, strong musky or foxy aroma. Seeds two to four,
large, distinctly notched, beak short; chalaza oval in shape,
indistinct, showing merely as a depression; raphe, a groove. (See
Plate.)
[Illustration: SHOOT OF _VITUS LABRUSCA_]
_Vitis labrusca_, the northern Fox grape, is mentioned in many of the
early writings of this country, particularly in those describing New
England. It was probably described by other botanists before Linnaeus
but if so their descriptions are so meager that it cannot be definitely
recognized. Linnaeus in 1753, under _Vitis labrusca_, says: "Leaves
cordate, slightly tri-lobed, dentate, downy below." Marshall in 1785
under the name _Vitis vulpina_, or Fox grape, says: "This in manner of
growth hath much the appearance of the other kinds. The leaves are
generally larger, and smooth, but whitish underneath. The fruit or
grapes are about the size of a common cherry and have a strong scent, a
little approaching to that of a Fox, whence the name of Fox-grape. There
are also varieties of this, some with whitish or reddish fruit which is
generally most esteemed, and others with black, of which are our largest
grapes." From the time of Marshall on all of the botanists give more or
less complete descriptions of this species and except for the brief
misunderstanding at first as to the name, its identity has never been
questioned. At one time it was supposed to grow in the Mississippi
Valley but Engelmann demonstrated that what were taken for Labrusca
vines in Missouri were in reality strongly pubescent forms of
Aestivalis.
Labrusca is indigenous to the eastern part of North America, including
the region between the Atlantic Ocean and the Alleghany Mountains. It is
sometimes found in the valleys and along the western slopes of the
Alleghanies. Many botanists say it is never found in the Mississippi
Valley; Munson reports specimens, however, from Indiana and Tennessee.
In the first-named area it ranges from Maine to Georgia. It has the most
restricted habitat of any American species of horticultural importance,
being much exceeded in extent of territory by _Vitis rotundifolia_,
_Vitis aestivalis_, and _Vitis riparia_.
Labrusca has furnished more cultivated varieties, either pure-breeds or
hybrids, than all other American species together. The reason for this
is partly, no doubt, due to the fact that it is native to the portion of
the United States first settled and is the most common grape in the
region where agriculture first advanced to the condition where fruits
were desired. This does not wholly account for its prominence, however,
which must be sought elsewhere. In its wild state Labrusca is probably
the most attractive to the eye of any of our American grapes on account
of the size of its fruit, and this undoubtedly turned the attention of
those who were early interested in the possibilities of American
grape-growing to this species rather than to any other.
The southern Labrusca is quite different from the northern form and
probably demands different conditions for its successful growth; in the
North at least two types of the species may be distinguished. Vines are
found in the woods of New England, which resemble Concord very closely
in both vine and fruit, excepting that the grapes are much smaller in
size and more seedy. There is also the large-fruited, foxy Labrusca,
usually with reddish berries, represented by such cultivated varieties
as Northern Muscadine, Dracut Amber, Lutie and others. Labrusca is
peculiar amongst American grapes in showing black-, white- and
red-fruited forms of wild vines growing in the woods. Because of this
variability it is impossible to give the exact climatic and soil
conditions best adapted to the species. It is reasonable to suppose,
however, that the ideal conditions for this or any other species are not
widely different from those prevailing where the species is indigenous.
In the case of Labrusca this means that it is best adapted to humid
climates and that the temperature desired varies according to whether
the variety comes from the southern or northern form of the species.
The root system of Labrusca does not penetrate the soil deeply,[152] but
it is said to succeed better in deep and clayey soils than
Aestivalis.[153] In the Southern and Middle States it does better on
eastern and northeastern slopes. As would be suspected from its original
marshy home, it endures an excess of water in the soil, and on the other
hand requires more water for successful growing than Aestivalis or
Riparia. In spite of its ability to withstand clayey soils, it seems to
prefer loose, warm, well-drained sandy lands to all others. The French
growers report that all varieties of this species show a marked
antipathy to a limestone soil, the vines soon becoming affected with
chlorosis when planted in soils of this nature. In corroboration of this
Stayman reports that it is not found growing native in clayey, limestone
soils. The Labruscas succeed very well in the North and fairly well in
the middle West, as far south as Arkansas, where they are raised on
account of their fruit qualities but here the vines are not nearly so
vigorous and healthy as are those of other species. In Alabama they are
reported to be generally unsatisfactory, and in Texas the vines are
short-lived, unhealthy, and generally unsatisfactory, particularly in
the dry regions. There are some exceptions to this, as, for instance, in
the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, where, owing to elevation or other
causes, the climate of a southern region is semi-northern in its
character.
[Illustration: SHOOT OF WYOMING]
The fruit of Labrusca is large and usually handsomely colored. The skin
is thick, covering a layer of adhering flesh, which gives the impression
of its being thicker than it actually is; it is variable in tenderness,
sometimes tough, but in many of our cultivated varieties it is so tender
as to be a detriment in that it is inclined to crack on the vines in
case of rain at ripening time, and the berries to crush in
transportation. The skin of this species usually has a peculiar aroma,
generally spoken of as _foxy_, and a slightly acid, astringent taste.
Beneath the skin there is a layer of juicy pulp, quite sweet and never
showing much acidity in ripe fruit. The center of the berry is occupied
by rather dense pulp, more or less stringy, with considerable acid close
to the seeds. Many people object to the foxy aroma of this species, but,
nevertheless, the most popular American varieties are more or less foxy.
Analyses have shown that Labrusca fruit is generally characterized by a
low percentage of sugar and acid, the very sweet tasting fox grapes not
showing as high a sugar content as some of the disagreeably tart
Aestivalis and Riparia sorts. This, in addition to the foxiness which
furnishes an excess of aroma in the wine, has prevented Labrusca
varieties from becoming favorites with the wine-makers. Must from these
varieties is adapted only for the making of dry wines, and when making
wines of any other class it is necessary to add sugar and water, the
quantities being governed by the final product desired.
In addition to the strong points already enumerated, it may be said that
Labrusca submits well to vineyard culture, is fairly vigorous and
generally quite productive. It grows readily from cuttings and in point
of hardiness is intermediate between Riparia, the hardiest of our
American species, and Aestivalis. The roots are soft and fleshy (for an
American grape) and in some localities quite subject to attacks of
phylloxera. None of the varieties of Labrusca have ever been popular in
France on this account. In the wild vines the fruit is inclined to drop
from the vine when ripe. This defect is known as "shattering" or
"shelling" among grape-growers and it is a serious weakness in certain
varieties of Labrusca. It is said to be more sensitive in its wild state
to mildew and rot than any other American species[154] but the evidence
on this point does not seem to be wholly conclusive. In the South and in
some parts of the middle West the leaves of all varieties of Labrusca
sunburn and shrivel in the latter part of the summer. The vines do not
endure drouth as well as Aestivalis or Riparia and not nearly so well as
Rupestris. Pearson[155] reports that the Labruscas can be sprayed with
copper sulphate mixtures with much less danger to the leaves than can
Aestivalis.
24. =VITIS VINIFERA= Linn.
=1.= Linnaeus, _Sp. Pl._, =1=:202. 1753. =2.= Speechly, =1791=:1.
=3.= Willdenow, _Sp. Pl._, =1=:1180. 1797. =4.= Bartram, _Dom.
Enc._, =5=:289. 1804. =5.= Rafinesque, =1830=:7. _Wine Grape._ =6.=
Darlington, _Fl. Cest._, =1853=:49. _Wine grape_; _Foreign grape_.
=7.= Buckley, _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._, =1861=:480. _European grape._
=8.= Stayman, _Gar. Mon._, =11=:38. 1869. _European grape._ =9.=
Bush, _Grape Cult._, =1=:140. 1869. _European grape._ =10.=
Engelmann, _Mo. Ent. Rpt._, =1874=:74. =11.= Moore, _Mich. Pom.
Soc. Rpt._, =1875=:36. =12.= Engelmann, _Bush. Cat._, =1883=:11,
12, 13, 14, 19. =13.= Munson, _Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt._, =1885=:137.
=14.= De Candolle, _Or. Cult. Pl._, =1885=:191. =15.= Onderdonk,
_U. S. D. A. Rpt._, =1887=:652. =16.= Planchon, _De Candolle's Mon.
Phan._, =5=:324, 355. 1887. =17.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._, =1889=:107,
109. =18.= Husmann, =1895=:29, 187. =19.= Munson, _Rural N. Y._,
=56=:610. 1897. =20.= Ib., _Tex. Sta. Bul._, =56=:231, 233, 240.
1900. _Asiatic Wine grape._ =21.= Bailey, _Cyc. Am. Hort._,
=4=:1956. 1902. _fig. of leaves._ _Wine grape_; _European grape_.
=22.= Viala and Ravaz, _Am. Vines_, =1903=:42, 115.
Quite variable in vigor, not so high climbing as most American
species. Tendrils intermittent. Leaves rounded-cordate, rather
thin, rather-smooth, and when young, shining, frequently more or
less deeply three-, five-, or even seven-lobed; usually glabrous
but in some varieties the leaves and young shoots are hairy and
even downy when young; lobes rounded or pointed; teeth variable;
petiolar sinus deep, narrow, usually overlapping. Fruit, of
cultivated varieties at least, very variable in size and color.
Berries of cultivated varieties usually oval though many varieties
are globular fruited. Seeds variable in size and shape, usually
notched at upper end and characterized always by bottle-necked,
elongated beak; a rather broad, usually rough, slightly distinct
chalaza situated rather high up on the seed; raphe indistinct.
Flowers soon after Labrusca. The roots are large, soft and spongy.
A very variable species.
[Illustration: SHOOT OF _VITIS VINIFERA_]
Botanists have never agreed as to whether _Vitis vinifera_ is a single
species or a combination of two or more species which has been
cultivated for so long that it is impossible to discover the original
forms. The name, _Vitis vinifera_, is usually credited to Linnaeus
though it was used for this grape before Linnaeus' time by Bauhin and
possibly by others. The description of Linnaeus accompanying the name is
very short, as follows: Leaves sinuately lobed, glabrous. Many of the
earlier botanists, Tournefort for one, described numerous varieties as
though they were species. As a natural corollary of the uncertainty of
the botanical status of _Vitis vinifera_ the original habitat of the
species is not positively known. De Candolle, as noted in the first part
of this work, considered the region about the Caspian Sea as the
probable habitat of the Old World grape. There is but little doubt that
the original home of _Vitis vinifera_ is some place in western Asia.
There is strong corroborative evidence of this in the fact that the
climatic conditions under which the species flourishes are such as are
there found.
The first chapter in _The Grapes of New York_ has been devoted to this,
the Old World grape, and for a discussion of the horticultural
characters of the species and of the efforts to cultivate it in America,
the reader is referred to that chapter.
Neither American nor European writers agree as to the exact climate
desired by Vinifera for the reason, probably, that all of the varieties
in this variable species do not desire the same conditions. There are
certain phases of climate, however, that are well agreed upon, as
follows: The species requires a warm, dry climate, and is more sensitive
to change of temperature than our American species. Stayman, who had had
considerable experience in raising Vinifera grapes in different places,
says: Vinifera "will not endure much rain or grow on wet land. It is
only in a dry climate and on high rolling situations that it will
succeed, where there is not more than 31 inches of an annual rainfall
and for the growing and maturing season 15 inches." So far as soil alone
is concerned, the French growers tell us that it can be grown
successfully in a wide variety of soils, being much less particular in
this respect than our American species. They state that it will
withstand and grow successfully in soils so strongly impregnated with
lime that any of the American sorts would succumb to chlorosis.
There are certain characters connected with the fruit of this species
which are peculiar to it and are not found in any of our American sorts.
First, the skin, which is attached very closely to the flesh and which
is never astringent or acid, is of good flavor and can be eaten with the
fruit. Second, the flesh is firm, yet tender, and uniform throughout,
differing in this respect from any of our American sorts, which
frequently show a sweet, watery and tender pulp close to the skin with a
tough and more or less acid core at the center. Third, the flavor is
peculiarly sprightly, a quality known as _vinous_, because it
characterizes this species. It may be said in this connection, however,
that many Americans, accustomed to American grapes, prefer the flavor of
our native sorts to the vinous flavor of the Old World grape. Europeans
invariably, and Americans who live in Vinifera raising sections,
usually, deem the Vinifera flavor greatly superior. Fourth, a strong
adherence of the berry to the pedicel, the fruit never "shattering" or
"shelling" from the cluster.
Varieties of Vinifera have been selected for the making of wine through
so many centuries that this species has become the first and great
wine-making grape. Whatever the future may hold in store for American
grapes, there is no question but that at present the Viniferas are far
superior to any native Americans for wine-making purposes, both as to
quality in general and the number of kinds of wine which can be made.
The weak points of Vinifera are: First, an inability to withstand the
cold of our winters. The different varieties of Vinifera undoubtedly
vary considerably as to the exact amount of cold they will stand without
injury. All of them tried at this Station freeze to the ground even in
the mildest winters. Second, foliage particularly susceptible to the
attack of mildew and fruit susceptible to the attack of black-rot.
Third, they generally require a ripening season much longer than our
climate affords. Fourth, the roots are soft and spongy and very liable
to the attack of phylloxera, though they apparently penetrate more
readily in dense clays and hard dry soils than any of our American
species.
In the various hybrids that have been made between American and Vinifera
varieties it is usually found that the desirable qualities of Vinifera
are taken in about the same proportion as the undesirable ones. The
fruit is improved in the hybrid but the vine is weakened. Quality is
purchased at the expense of hardiness and disease-resisting power.
Vinifera may be grown very readily from cuttings. This is of little
cultural importance, however, as both in Europe and America varieties of
the species are usually grafted on phylloxera-resistant stock.