Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 363 

 510. SWEET SCENTED GRAPE; RIVERSIDE GRAPE 



VITIS VULPINA L. 



Rather common near shore on banks along the west shore, 

 as on Long Point, and along the road on the east side of the lake. 

 The term "sweet-scented" was probably intended to refer especially 

 to the blossoms, which have a pleasant, spicy, far-reaching fra- 

 grance. The large glaucous fruit is sometimes flatfish. The taste 

 is usually insipid, especially when the fruit is dead ripe, so that 

 it is generally the poorest in quality of all our wild grapes. 



Some vines which appeared to be of this species grew at the 

 edge of Busart's pond, and bore an abundance of large, excellent 

 fruit. 



511. FROST GRAPE; CHICKEN GRAPE 



VITIS CORDIFOLIA Michx. 



Scattered about the lake, at Long Point, along the railroad, in 

 Green's and Walley's woods, etc. In flower along the railroad May 

 26. The smallest of our grapes, quite sour but with a rather agree- 

 able flavor. The seedlings come up in May and have rather ovate 

 pale cotyledons. The first pair of leaves are rhomboidal in form, 

 reminding one of leaves of the dogwood. 



512. VIRGINIA CREEPER 



PARTHENOCISSUS QUINQUEFOLIA (L.) Planch. 



Rather common in woodlands ; common along the east shore of 

 Long Point. 



One of the most brilliant of our plants in autumn coloration, 

 and most effective when forming a close carpet-like growth about 

 old dead stubs. It is used on the railroad grounds to cover dome- 

 shaped trellises, and here it is very effective, especially in autumn 

 when in brilliant coloration. It is occasionally used to screen 

 porches, a use to which it is very well adapted. It attains its 

 brightest coloration about the middle of September. The leaves 

 have, under different conditions, various peculiarities in coloring; 

 sometimes part of the leaflets of a leaf will turn red, while the re- 

 mainder are still green. One by the Fish Commission cottage was 

 peculiarly and beautifully colored, the leaves red, flecked with small 

 quadrate patches of green. The young leaves come out in spring 

 with a beautiful purplish color much like the purple beech in tone. 



Delightful as the Virginia creeper is in northern Indiana, no 

 one fully realizes its possibilities or full attractiveness until he 

 sees it where it attains its most perfect development, which is 

 probably along the Cumberland River. 



