VITIS 669 



V. COIGN ETI^:, Pulliat. 



(V. congesta, Hort. ; V. Thunbergii, HorL, not Siebold.} 



A very vigorous deciduous climber, reaching the tops of the highest 

 trees; young shoots round, ribbed, and at first covered with a loose greyish 

 floss; there is a tendril missing at every third joint. Leaves perhaps the 

 largest among vines, being sometimes 12 ins. long and 10 ins. broad, 

 ordinarily 4 to 8 ins. wide; they are roundish in the main, rather obscurely 

 three- or five-lobed, the lobes and apex pointed, the base deeply heart- 

 shaped; shallowly to coarsely toothed; dark green and smooth above, covered 

 beneath with a thick rusty brown felt; stalk from 2 to 6 ins. long, somewhat 

 woolly. Berries black with a purple bloom, i in. wide. 



Native of Japan; first introduced apparently to Mr Anthony Waterer's 

 nursery long ago' through Messrs Jardine and Matheson, East India 

 merchants. The original plant grows over some trees at Knap Hill, and 

 makes a glorious display of crimson every autumn. Owing to difficulty in 

 propagating, it spread very little in cultivation. But about 1893 a quantity 

 of seeds were imported from Japan, and the species became more common 

 in gardens. The seedlings, however, have not yet proved quite equal in 

 autumn colouring to the Waterer stock, which is generally but wrongly 

 named V. Thunbergii. The true V. Thunbergii (q.v.} is very distinct. Seeds 

 of V. Coignetiae had been introduced from Japan to France by Madame 

 Coignet as long ago as 1875, an d the plants raised from them were greatly 

 admired for their magnificent autumn colour. They experienced there the 

 same difficulty in propagation, and owing to this and the phylloxera 

 regulations this vine did not spread out of France. In the absence of 

 seed, layering appears to be the orjjy method of propagation available. In 

 the forests of Yezo, according to Sargent, " it climbs into the tops of the 

 largest trees, filling them with its enormous leaves, which in autumn assume 

 the most brilliant hues of scarlet." It is in this way that it grows in Mr 

 Waterer's grounds. His form is also very fine at Castlewellan and Narrow 

 Water, in Ireland, in both places on a wall, developing a remarkable size of 

 leaf frequently I ft. or more across. In this respect, and in the richness 

 of its colour in autumn, it is undoubtedly the finest of all vines. Seedling 

 plants have leaves very much more deeply lobed than fully grown ones. 



V. CORDIFOLIA, Mickaux. FROST or CHICKEN GRAPE. 



A very vigorous vine, whose main stem in a wild state is sometimes from 

 i^ to 2 ft. thick; young shoots smooth or only slightly hairy, a tendril missing 

 from every third joint. Leaves thin, roundish ovate, with a heart-shaped 

 base (the sinus pointed and narrow); 3 to 5 ins. wide, rather more in length; 

 slenderly pointed, coarsely and irregularly toothed, unlobed or sometimes 

 obscurely three-lobed, glossy and smooth above, smooth or downy on the 

 veins beneath; stalk often as long as the blade. Flowers in drooping 

 panicles, 4 to 12 ins. long. Berries globose, \ to \ in. in diameter, black. 



Native of the eastern United States; introduced in 1806. The berries 

 are moderately well-flavoured after they have been touched by frost in 

 America, harsh and acid before; in one form (var. FGETIDA, Engelmanri) 

 they have a pungent, foetid odour.. The species has been confused with 

 vulpina (g.v.}. 



V. DELAVAYANA, Franchet. 



(Ampelopsis Delavayana, Planchon.) 



Not much is known as yet of this species in cultivation. It was intro- 

 duced by Wilson for Messrs Veitch in 1900, and appears to be quite hardy 



