600 STURTEV ant's NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 



V. capensis Burm. 



South Africa. The beny is said to be excellent but with a different flavor from our 

 grapes. It is brought to the table at the Cape of Good Hope.' 



V. caribaea DC. caribean grape. 



West Indies and moist thickets in Florida and along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico 

 as far as southern Texas. This grape was found in Arkansas by Nuttall.'' Its grapes 

 are small, sour and generally impalatable, yet sometimes it has fruit agreeably acid. Its 

 vines are said to be so full of sap as to be used in the West Indies to allay thirst.' Sloane * 

 says, in Jamaica, it is red or deep purple and the size of a currant and agreeably acid, as 

 well as astringent. Loudon ' says it was introduced into England in 1800. 



V. cordifolia Michx. chicken grape, frost grape, winter grape. 



Eastern United States. The fruit hangs in short clusters, is dark purple, almost 

 black when ripe, with a dark blue bloom, about the size of a large pea. It is very acid, 

 says Emerson,' but pleasant, with a rich, spicy taste and without any acerbity remaining 

 after eating. Natural varieties of this grape have been transferred to gardens in Massa- 

 chusetts and the berries of these plants are described as of " a juicy, agreeable, wine taste," 

 " oval, sweet and spicy," " round and sweet," " sweet and agreeable." This species 

 has been strongly recommended for wine-maMng. Some of the varieties have red, others 

 black fruits. 



V. elongata Wall. 



East Indies. The berries are large and juicy.' 



V. geniculata Miq. 



Java. The fruit is eaten.* 



V. heterophylla Thimb. 



China and Japan. The leaves are used for food.' 



V. hypoglauca F. Muell. 



East Australia. This species is an evergreen climber of enormous length. The black 

 berries attain the size of small cherries." 



V. imperialis Miq. 



Sumatra and Borneo. Its berries are large and juicy." 



Lindley, J. Trans. Hort. Soc. Land. 5:92. 1824. (^Cissus capensis) 

 Buckley U. S. Pat. Of. Rpt. 483. 1861. 



Ibid. 



Loudon, J. C. Arb. Frut. Brit. 1:481. 1854. 



Ibid. 



' Emerson, G. B. Trees, Shrubs Mass. 2: 52)A- 1875. 



'Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. $10. 1891. 



' Don, G. Hist. Dichi. Pis. i:6g3. 1831. {Cissus elongata) 



Bretschneider, E. Bot. Sin. $1. 1882. 

 "Mueller,?. Sel. Pis. 510. 1891. 



" Ibid. 



