672 VITIS 



viscous disks terminating the tendrils. Leaves extremely variable, but of 

 three main types : I, broadly ovate with a heart-shaped base, shallowly or 

 coarsely toothed, but not, or very slightly, lobed; 2, composed of three 

 distinct, stalked leaflets, the middle one obovate, the side ones obliquely 

 ovate; 3, conspicuously and deeply three-lobed, the side lobes erect or 

 spreading. The two first types are characteristic of young plants and young 

 shoots, and the leaves average from 2 to 5 ins. across; the last are found on 

 old plants that have reached the flowering and fruiting stage, and the leaves 

 are large and coarse, 8 ins. or even more across. In all forms they are 

 smooth above, finely downy on the veins beneath. Flowers yellow-green, 

 produced in cymes mostly on short two-leaved shoots. Fruit dull, dark blue 

 with a bloom, flattish, J to ^ in. wide. 



Native of Japan and China; introduced by John Gould Veitch about 

 1862. No climbing plant ever introduced has secured so important a place 

 in British horticulture. Owing to its abundance, it is now becoming the 

 vogue to decry it. It certainly requires watching, and should never be 

 allowed to grow over and shroud beautiful architectural detail, as has 

 happened on some of the old colleges at Oxford. On the other hand, the 

 stark ugliness of innumerable brick walls in urban districts has been hidden 

 by it. It is really one of the least troublesome of climbers, being self- 

 supporting and attaching itself readily and securely to walls, etc., by means 

 of the viscid tips of the tendrils, and spreading with remarkable rapidity. 

 The leaves of the young climbing branchlets are at first pressed to the wall. 

 In autumn the foliage turns one of the loveliest of crimsons. The large 

 leaves that appear on old plants near the base are coarse in appearance, and 

 the plant then loses much of its charm. It does not bear fruit except during 

 hot summers; there was a good crop in 1911. Cuttings made of firm pieces 

 of young branchlets, 3 or 4 ins. long, and put in gentle heat about August 

 strike root readily. The young plants should be grown in pots until planted 

 out permanently, as they dislike transplanting. 



Var. Lowi (Ampelopsis Lowi, Hort.\ A seedling form raised by Messrs 

 Low of Enfield, and first exhibited by them in 1907. It has small three- to 

 seven-lobed leaves, at least when young, very elegant, and colouring as well 

 as the type. 



V. INDIVISA, Willdenow. 



(Ampelopsis cordata, Michaux.) 



A vigorous deciduous climber; young bark warted, not or very slightly 

 downy; tendrils forked, sometimes absent. Leaves roundish ovate, more or 

 less heart-shaped at the base, shallowly but sharply toothed; smooth or 

 slightly downy along the veins and in the vein-axils beneath; 2 to 5 ins. 

 long, scarcely as wide; stalk often downy, shorter than the blade. Flowers 

 on slender-stalked cymes i-^ to 3 ins. broad. Fruits blue or greenish blue. 



Native of the south-east and south central United States; introduced in 

 1803. It is quite hardy and grows vigorously at Kew, but has no special 

 attraction. The ends of the shoots are herbaceous and die back in winter, 

 disarticulating at the nodes. Although the leaves have the typical Vitis 

 shape, it is a true Ampelopsis, the sepals and petals being in fives, the latter 

 separate and expanded, the bark not peeling. 



V. LABRUSCA, Linnceus. NORTHERN Fox GRAPE. 



A vigorous deciduous climber, with very woolly young shoots carrying a 

 tendril or an inflorescence at every joint. Leaves thick-textured, unlobed, 

 or three-lobed (sometimes deeply) towards the top; shallowly and irregularly 



