THE GRAPE 169 



The Vulpina Grapes 



The Vulpina grapes are adapted to a great variety of soils 

 and climates, and fruit from wild vines is often attractive in 

 appearance, though small, and of good quality. For these rea- 

 sons grape-growers have expected much from the species. Ex- 

 pectations have not been fulfilled, however, as after more than 

 a century of grape-breeding there are but few pure-bred varie- 

 ties of Vulpina of value, and it falls far short of two other 

 native grapes in its hybrids. 



247. Habitat and botanical characters of V. vulpina. — This 

 species is found in Canada north of Quebec, and thence south- 

 ward to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Atlantic coast west- 

 ward to the Rocky Mountains. Usually it grows on river banks, 

 on islands, or in upland ravines. Its wide range and popularity 

 are indicated by the number of common names, as: Winter, 

 River, Riverside, Riverbank, and Sweet-scented grape. To many 

 pomologists this grape is best known as V. riparia. 



3. Vitis vulpina, Linn. (F. riparia, Michx.) (Plate XA^I) Vine very- 

 vigorous, climbing; shoots cylindrical or angled, smooth, slender; dia- 

 phragms thin; tendrils intermittent, bifid. Leaves with large stipules; 

 leaf -blade large, thin, entire, 3- or lower ones 5-lobed; sinuses shallow, 

 angular; petiolar sinus broad, shallow; margin with incised sharply serrate 

 teeth ; light green, glabrous above, glabrous but sometimes pubescent on 

 ribs and veins below. Cluster small, compact, shouldered; peduncle short. 

 Berries small, black with heavy blue bloom. Seeds 2-4, small, notched, 

 short, plump, with very short beak; chalaza narrowly oval, depressed, in- 

 distinct; raphe a groove, sometimes distinct. 



248. Pomological characters of Vulpina grapes. — Several re- 

 markable physiological characters serve systematists in distin- 

 guishing Vulpina grapes. Thus, the species shows greater adap- 

 tations to soils and climates than most other sorts. In particular, 

 it withstands high degrees of heat and low degrees of cold, 

 thriving alike where American summers are very hot and winters 

 are very cold. Vulpina blooms among the earliest if not the earli- 

 est of cultivated grapes. Roots and leaves of Vulpina are highly 

 resistant to phylloxera. The foliage rarely suffers from fungi 

 but is much liked by the leaf-hopper. The vines grow readily 

 from cuttings and make good stocks for grafting. 



