Il8 THE GRAPES OF NEW YORK. 



239, 260. 1900. V. vulpina; Riverside; V. riparia. 34. Viala and Ravaz, Am. Vines, 1903:42, 



104. 



Vine vigorous to very vigorous, climbing. Shoots cylindrical or slightly angled, 

 usually smooth, slender; diaphragms thin; tendrils intermittent, slender, usually 

 bifid. Leaves with large stipules; leaf-blade medium to large, thin, entire, three, or 

 lower ones often five-lobed; sinuses shallow, angular; petiolar sinus broad, usually 

 rather shallow; margin with incised, sharply serrate teeth of variable size; of a light 

 green color, glabrous above, usually glabrous but sometimes slightly pubescent on ribs 

 and veins below. Cluster medium to small, generally compact, shouldered; peduncle 

 short. Berries small to medium, black with a heavy blue bloom. Seeds usually two 

 to four, small, usually slightly notched, short, plump, with very short beak; chalaza 

 narrowly oval, depressed, indistinct ; raphe usually a groove, sometimes slightly distinct. 

 Very variable in flavor and time of ripening. (See Plate.) 



The first mention we have of Vitis riparia is by Tournefort in 1700, who, 

 without further description, calls it Vitis canadensis accris folio, or Maple- 

 leaved Canadian grape.' Linnaeus in 1753 described mixed specimens of 

 Cordifolia and Riparia under the name of Vitis vulpina. His description 

 is as follows:" " Leaves cordate, dentate-serrate, glabrous on both sides." 

 Walter and Willdenow copy the description of Linnaeus. The first descrip- 

 tion which is clear, and the identity of which has never been questioned, is 

 that of Michaux in 1803, under the name Riparia. He says: "Leaves 

 unequally and sharply dentate, slightly 3-lobed. Petioles, veins and 

 margins pubescent. Called by French residents Vignc des battures. Habitat 

 along the banks and on the islands of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, etc." 

 Bartram, in 1 804, under the name of Vitis serotina, or Winter grape, describes 

 a vine which may be Riparia or may be Cordifolia as it has some of the 

 characters of both. 



Linnaeus' description seems to have thoroughly confused all of the 

 earlier botanists. They were in doubt, first, as to what species was 

 intended for Vulpina; second, as to the distinguishing characters between 

 Riparia and Cordifolia. Gray classed Riparia as a variety of Cordifolia. 

 Engelmann was the first to draw attention to the specific characters which 

 separated these two sorts and these he gives as follows: ist. Riparia has 

 thin diaphragms, Cordifolia thick. 2d. Riparia blooms early, Cordifolia 



' Planchon is our authority for calling this Riparia. 

 ^ Translation from the Latin. 



