Vol. VI , No. 42.] BULLETIN oF THE ToRREY BOTANICAL Cus. [New York, June, 1878. 
§ 239. Vitis —Vitis cordifolia L., and V. riparia, Michx., are 
still mixed up in the opinion of many of our botanists, and trouble 
them, whenever they are obliged to touch them. The observations 
made this spring have again confirmed my long settled conviction 
of their absolute specific difference, and may help others to better dis- 
tinguish them, 
Vitis riparia was in bloom here in the last week in April, and in 
favorable localities (on the rocky, sun-exposed banks of the Missis- 
sippi,) even before the 2oth of that month. V. cordifolia bloomed 
fully four weeks later, and even into this month of June, long after 
Labrusca, and a little before aestivalis. As this spring was an 
unusually early one, it is better to compare their flowering with that of 
well know trees ; thus riparta bloomed after the apple-tree, and 
about the time when the first garden roses and the first Acacia 
(Robinia) blossoms made their appearance ; cordifolia bloomed 
when the flowers of Ailantus exhaled their nauseous odor and Catalpa 
blossoms were just opening. 
The young, half-grown leaf of riparia is glossy shining (on the 
upper surface) and is supported by a pair of conspicuous, white, 
membranaceous stipules, oblong or linear-oblong, two or three lines 
in length ; the mature leaf is scarcely wrinkled, and of a bright deep 
green color, and usually has a broad, at the base truncate, sinus. 
The leaf of cordifolia is always dull, even when young, perfectly 
smooth, and paler green, and its rounded short stipules are mostly 
less than one line in length; the sinus, though it may be wide, is 
always acute. 
I need not repeat that the shape of the leaves in typical specimens 
is distinct enough, but that forms occur, which, without the help of 
other characters, it would be difficult to keep apart ; and this made 
undoubtedly the great difficulty in the distinction of both species, 
There is generally a hairy (rarely cottony, as in Zadrusca and 
aestivalis) pubescence on the under side of young leaves especially 
along the ribs; more so in cordifolia, less in the other species; in 
the former this pubescences sometimes remains throughout the sea- 
son, and rarely even verges to the arachnoid down of aestiva/is. 
In this neighborhgod riparia matures its fruit in July and 
August, further north in September, earlier than even aestivalis ; cor- 
atfolta not bfore October. 
Now, having distinguished the species, let-us see-pbout their 
geographical distribution. Aiparia is the northern ee western, 
cordifolia the southern and eastern form ; in the middle or central 
States they both occur together. I have found riparia on the great 
Lakes, on Niagara, on Lake George, and have it from Vermont; it 
is common in Missouri and Illinois, and extends to the Rocky Moun- 
tains of Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. How far south of 
the Ohio it is found I have now no means of ascertaining. 
V. cordifolia is common throughout the Middle and Southern 
States, but I have seen no specimen north of New York, nor west of 
Missouri. 
I may add that V. aestivalis extends through the whole Vitis 
region of North America, from New England to Texas and from the 
