or more; pith large at lower end, rather dark brown, often insensibly meeting the diaphragm 

 above. Extending tip of growing shoot naked, not enveloped as in V. vulpina. 



Leaves: Stipules very small to medium, 1/10' to 1/5' long, lance-shaped, fine ciliate edge, 

 soon shedding; petiole long, in length over one-half the width -of the blade, striated, with 

 shallow groove above, bordered with stiff pubescence, very abundant on the green form b 

 of a yellowish-green; blade, average length, about 3% inches in length by 3 1 -/ in width; 

 long, cordate, plane; basal sinus usually narrowly in a, or broadly acute to nearly 

 truncate often in b, but sometimes broadly shaped, but in such cases there may be admixture 

 of V. vulpina; moderately deep in a; basal lobes sometimes closed or overlapping in a. Shoulder 

 and summit acute or short taper-pointed, rarely long lance-pointed in the most acute toothed 

 form, nearly as long as in V. rubra; border in the most typical form entire, but shouldered or rarely 

 lobed in the compound, vulpina-like forms, in which the blade is broader than in the simple 

 cordate form; teeth small to large, generally irregular, rarely nearly regular, more or less convex, 

 right-angled or more commonly acute, rarely obtuse, with a distinct, usually long mucron; little 

 or no pubescence along margin; venation from the little elevated, usually 7 pairs of not quite 

 opposite ribs which are pale yellowish-green in a and thinly but stiffly pubescent, the ribs and 

 their larger divisions corresponding in pubescence with petiole; veins when held up to the light, 

 pale yellowish-green in a, the ribs and their divisions of the lower face, prominent, densely and 

 stiffly pubescent especially in the bronzy-colored young growth in form a, least in the clear green ; 

 white pubescent tufts in forks of ribs ; surfaces at first slightly hairy, changing from a violet to a 

 clear lively or bronzy green; in mature leaves, upper surface smooth, lively dark shining green when 

 mature; lower surface much paler, of a yellowish or bronzy green when young, old leaves becoming 

 a pale yellow when about to shed if not killed by frost ; texture dense, leathery, much more than 

 in V. vulpina. Leaves on ground shoots from old wood generally 3 to 5 lobed with rounded 

 sinuses; on seedlings always entire first and second year. Leaves in a mature and fall earlier 

 than in any other species, while in var. b sempervirens, found chiefly in Florida, and near the Gulf, 

 the leaves hold on very late and growth continues till frozen. 



Cluster: Fertile, medium to large, open, loose, sometimes broadly shouldered, but generally 

 simple; peduncle strong, 1/2 to 2/3 the length of rachis, bracted above middle, smooth or pubescent; 

 rachis little compounded, nearly simple, branches of rachis short, bracted, all smooth, or in bronze 

 form of a pubescent, light yellowish-green or bronzy; pedicels 1/6' to 1/4' long, slender, little 

 enlarged at receptacle, thinly warty; receptacle medium; sterile, very large, peduncle long, 

 rachis compound, often dividing into several nearly equal short branches, each 3 to 12 flowered, 

 pedicels very slender, 1/6' to 1/4' long, whitish. 



Flowers: Fertile, stamens very short, reflexed, curved laterally, having little weak pollen; 

 disc prominently 5 lobed, orange-yellow; ovary small, subconical; style short, slender, pointed; 

 stigma very small; staminate, stamens usually 5, often 4, 1/16' to 1/10' long, ascending; 

 anthers small, pollen abundant. 



Berries: Small, 3/16' to 6/16' in diameter, globular or slightly oblate, sometimes shining, 

 or mostly dull black, rarely has a little bloom, persistent, ripening very late, two months or more 

 later than V. vulpina, September in Texas; skin thick or rigid, coloring matter abundant, violet; 

 little pulp, skin possessed of a biting pungency, till well frosted, then becoming vinous and 

 sugary; refreshing but with characteristic flavor, by which alone it can at once be separated from 

 V. vulpina, with which it was so long confused, as well as from any other species. 



Seeds: 1/6' to 1/5' long, nearly as broad, obovate or sub-globular, of a grizzly dark brown 

 or chocolate color; beak short to medium, sub-bilobed, blunt or acute, of a rusty or reddish-brown 

 color ; raphe extends from the extremity of beak prominently over top of seed to chalaza ; chalaza 

 circular, or cordate, convex, prominent, lying in the center of back of seed ; groove shallow and 

 often continuing faintly to beak; ventral depressions short, shallow, wide apart, curved outward 

 at the top, of same color as beak. Seeds surrounded by dark adhering pigment, when freshly 

 taken from the berry. 



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