PEXTANDRIA. MONOGYXIA. 143 



Leaves simple and cordate, angularly or sinuately lobed, 

 rarely digitate or pinnate (Cissus?) flowers numerous, in 

 compound racemes, not uncommonly producing' 4, 6 and 

 7 petals, with a corresponding number of stamens, calix 

 mostly entire, or obsoletely crenate; a glandulous disk 

 surrounding the germ; tendril dichotomovis, sometimes 

 producing 'flowers, therefore analogous to a sterile ra- 

 ceme. 



Species. 1. V. Labrusca. 2. aestivalis. Under side of 

 the younger leaves spread with an arachnoid tomentum. 

 3. cordifolia. 4. riparia. 5. rotundifolia. 6, pahnata? All the 

 North American species of Vitis^ are polygamous and di- 

 oicous; the male flower mostly contains an abortive germ. 

 It is probable that hybrids betwixt the European vine, 

 {Vitis vinifera) and those of the United States would bet- 

 ter answer the variable climates of North America than 

 the unacclimated vine of Europe. When a portion of the 

 same industry shall have been bestowed upon the cultiva- 

 tion of the native vines of America, as that which has for 

 so many ages and by so many nations been devoted to the 

 amelioration of the Vitis vinifera^ we can then no longer 

 imagine the citizens of the United States indebted to Eu- 

 rope for the luxury of wine. It is not, however, in the 

 wilds of uncultivated nature that we are to obtain vines 

 worthy of cultivation, were this the case Europe would to 

 the present have known no other Malus than the worth- 

 less and austere crab in place of the finest apple, no other 

 Pyrus than the acerb and inedible Pyraster or stone pear, 

 from which cultivation has obtained all the other varieties. 

 It is from seed that new and valuable varieties are invari- 

 ably to be obtained. There is, however, at the present 

 time, a variety of one of the native species cultivated under 

 the name of "Bland's grape," an hybrid? no way, in my 

 opinion, inferior to some of the best European grapes. 

 According to the observations of Z. Collins, Esq. who has 

 long cultivated it in^a garden, it far exceeds in producing, 

 every other vine in the United States, and is perfectly 

 hardy. 



Of this genus there are besides the Vitis vinifera of 

 Europe, 2 species in India, one of them said to be com- 

 mon to the West Indies, 2 species in Japan, and 2 without 

 any assigned habitat. 



220. CISSUS. L, AMPELorsis. Mich, 



Calix minute, 4 or 5 -toothed. Petals 4 or 5, 

 unconnected above, spreading, deciduous. Germ 



