728 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL. HERBARIUM. 



1. PABTHENOCISSUS Planch, in DC. Monogr. Phan. 5: 447. 1887. 



1. Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch, in DC. Monogr. Phan. 5: 448. 

 1887. 



Hedera quinquefolia L. Sp. Pl. 202. 1753. 



Vitis quinquefolia Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 2: 135. 1793. 



Ampelopsis quinquefolia Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer. 1: 160. 1803. 



Nuevo Leon, Veracruz, Hidalgo, and MichoacSn. Widely distributed in the 

 United States and Canada, and in Cuba and the Bahamas. 



Scandent shrub, usually glabrous throughout ; leaflets 5, elliptic to oblanceo- 

 late, 5 to 15 cm. long, acute or acuminate, coarsely serrate-dentate; flowers 

 perfect or polygamo-monoecious, green, in compound cymes ; petals 5, spread- 

 ing ; fruit blue, 8 to 9 mm. in diameter, 2 or 3-seeded. 



A handsome vine, often planted for ornamental purposes. Known in the 

 United States as " Virginia creeper." The leaA'es tui*n red in autumn. The 

 bark has been used in domestic medicinal practice as an alterative, tonic, and 

 expectorant, and for dropsy. The crushed leaves applied to the skin are said 

 to produce blisters. The fruit is not edible. 



Parthenocissus quinquefolia liirsuta (Donn) Planch. (Ampelopsis hirsuta 

 Donn ; Parthetwcissus hirsuta Small; Ampelopsis pubescens Schlecht.) is a form 

 with leaflets sparsely pilose beneath. Specimens from Nuevo Leon and Vera- 

 cruz belong here. 



2. VITIS L. Sp. PI. 202. 1753. 



Climbing shrubs; leaves long-petiolate, simple, toothed or lobed; flowers 

 mostly dioecious or polyga mo-dioecious, cymose-paniculate; petals caducous; 

 ovary 2-celled ; fruit a globose berry, pulpy, edible. 



Tbe Mexican native grapes, like those of the United States, are difficult of 

 separation, and their characters poorly marked. 



The cultivated grapes of Mexico are chiefly of the Old World type, being 

 derived from Vitis vinifera L. The cultivated grapes of the eastern United 

 States are derived from the native species. European grapes (" vid," the plant; 

 " uva," "parra," the fruit; "bicholi," "yaga-bicholi," Zapotec) are said to 

 have been introduced into Mexico about 1522, and their culture upon a large 

 scale was begun at once, especially for the purpose of making wine. During 

 at least a portion of the Spanish occupation, however, the local manufacture 

 of wine was prohibited by the Spanish Government, for the protection of the 

 wine industry of Spain. Clavigero states that vineyards were established in 

 Baja California by the Jesuits, and that grapes were more successful there 

 than any other fruit except figs. 



Oviedo relates that grapes were cultivated in Santo Domingo at the beginning 

 of the sixteenth century, and he mentions particularly the vineyard of Diego 

 Col6n, which was destroyed through neglect. He refers to the wild grapes 

 (Vitis tiliifolia) of Santo Domingo which, he says are good, "that is, for wild 

 grapes," and suggests that they might be improved by cultivation. Wine is 

 occasionally made in Mexico from the wild grapes. The Indians of the United 

 States sometimes dried the fruit for winter use, and in spring they tapped 

 the larger vines to obtain the sap, which was used as a beverage. 



Wild grapes are mentioned by Hernandez ^ in a chapter entitled " De Ceual- 

 chilchiltic, sen vite sylvestri, Lambruscave indigena." He states that the name 

 " xocomecatl " also was applied to the plant. 



' Thesaurus 128. 1651. 



