80 AMERICAN VINES. 



V. Cordifolia does not root freely from cuttings, although 

 it is better in this respect than V. Berlandieri; it has given 

 up to 60 per cent, strikes with ordinary cuttings. For 

 soils where the most vigorous forms might thrive, other 

 species are quite as vigorous, and strike better from 

 cuttings, and therefore are more practical. 



The resistance to phylloxera of the V. Cordifolia is very 

 high, and may be designated by 19. We shall see later 

 on the interest its hybrids have on account of the remark- 

 able transmitted resistance to phylloxera which they owe 

 to it. 



V. CINEREA. 



(a) Description. Stump very vigorous, trunk strong; 

 wood of the year with prominent ribs, of an ashy -grey 

 colour, with numerous short and stiff hairs; ten- 

 drils discontinuous. Leaves (Fig. 29) cordiform : elongated, 

 entire; petiolar sinus very deep, slightly open; teeth wide 

 and obtuse; limb with ribs regularly sunk on the upper-face 

 of a dull greyish colour; under-face ashy-green, dull, with 

 numerous short hairs on the principal and secondary ribs. 

 Bunch large, with small berries, close spherical, deep 

 shiny black colour; taste acid. Seeds (Fig. 30) medium, 

 rather elongated; beak narrow and short; chalaze small, 

 round; raphe in a thread-like cord surrounding the seed. 

 Roots large and fleshy. 



(6) Varieties. The varieties of V. Cinerea are not very 

 numerous. Some of them, which we will call glabrous 

 Cinereas, have, contrary to the most common forms, only 

 a few fluffy hairs on the principal and secondary nerves 

 of the under-face in the case of old and middle-aged 

 leaves; they live in dry soils. The more numerous 

 tomentose forms have the general characteristics of the 

 species, and live, like the V. Cordifolia, in rich and fresh 

 soils on the banks of rivers and water-courses. A third 

 group of very rare forms, to which T. V. Munson gave the 

 name of Wichita, are represented by a few individuals in 

 calcareous, but rather rich and siliceous soils, on the banks 

 of the Red River, in the extreme north of Texas. The 

 leaves of these forms, not yet introduced into France, are 

 orbicular, sub-medium, thick, with rudimentary teeth, and 

 short stiff numerous hairs on the principal ribs of the 

 under-face. 



