Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Climbers 57 



The Virginian Creeper (V. quinquefolia, Ampelopsis hederacea) is one 

 of the best known. It attains a length of 60 ft., and is one of the most 

 popular climbers in cultivation. There are several varieties of it, including 

 incisa, with deeply cut leaves; hirsuta, downy leaves; and muralis or 

 Engelmanni, which develops sucker-like tendrils that attach the plants 

 to walls, fences, &c., without being fastened artificially. 



V. inconstans (far better known as Ampelopsis Veitchi and A. tri- 

 cuspidata) is a splendid Japanese climber seen 

 almost everywhere, and propagated by thousands 

 annually from cuttings, grafts, or seeds. It is very 

 variable in the shape of its three-lobed leaves, some 

 being larger and more coarsely toothed than others, 

 and differing a good deal in colour at all seasons. 

 Some varieties, however, are brilliant in autumn 

 tints, and all cling naturally by means of suckered 

 tendrils. 



V. Coignetice (congesta) is a Japanese climber 

 with large rounded slightly lobed leaves 6-10 in. 

 across, which assume rich crimson tints in autumn 

 when grown in hot sunny positions (fig. 448). 

 Raised by layers and grafts. V. Thuribergi is some- 

 what similar but larger. V. heterophylla is better 

 known by its variety humulifolia, a splendid 

 Chinese and Japanese climber with three- to five- 

 lobed serrate dark-green wrinkled leaves. It is 

 remarkable for its masses of turquoise-coloured 

 berries speckled with black in autumn. V. La- 

 brusca, a strong North American climber with 

 roundish heart-shaped lobed leaves covered with 

 reddish -brown down beneath, has large dark- 

 purple or yellowish berries in autumn. V. 

 japonica has leaves divided into five roundish 

 oval serrate leaflets, and has a variety, marmor- 

 ata, with broad yellowish blotches on the leaves. 



Of late years a large number of ornamental 

 kinds have been introduced, chiefly from China 

 and Japan, and they include such as amurensis; 

 arTnata; Henry ana, with silvery veins; Tliwnsoni, with digitate leaves 

 tinted with claret purple; and several others. 



Wistaria. The best-known species is W. chinensis, a rampant de- 

 ciduous woody climber, w r ith pinnate leaves and drooping racemes of pale- 

 purple Pea-like flowers in early summer. There is a white-flowered variety, 

 alba; a larger-flowered one, macrobotrys] one with silver and green foliage, 

 variegata; and a double -flowered one, flore pleno. W. multijuga, from 

 Japan, has lilac-coloured flowers in racemes often over 2 ft. long. Other 

 species are brachybotrys, a Japanese, shrub 3-5 ft. high, with violet-purple 



Fig. 448. Vitis Coignetice 



