GRAPE BOTANY 319 



Vine very vigorous , shoots pubescent or smooth when young ; 

 diaphragms thick; tendrils intermittent, usually bifid. Leaves with 

 short, broad stipules ; leaf -blade large, thin when young but becoming 

 thick ; petiolar sinus deep, usually narrow, frequently overlapping ; 

 margin rarely entire, usually three- to five-lobed ; teeth dentate, 

 shallow, wide ; upper surface dark green ; lower surface with more or 

 less reddish or rusty pubescence which, in mature leaves, usually shows 

 in patches on the ribs and veins ; petioles frequently pubescent. 

 Clusters long, not much branched, with long peduncle. Berries small, 

 with moderate amount of bloom, usually astringent. Seeds two to 

 three, of medium size, plump, smooth, not notched; chalaza oval, 

 distinct ; raphe a distinct cord-like ridge. Leafing and ripening fruit 

 late to very late. 



The division of the original species has reduced the habitat 

 materially, confining it to the southeastern part of the United 

 States from southern New York to Florida and westward to 

 the Mississippi River. ^Estivalis grows in thickets and open- 

 ings in the woods and shows no such fondness for streams as 

 Vulpina, or for thick timber as Labrusca, but is generally con- 

 fined to uplands. Under favorable circumstances, the vines 

 grow to be very large. ^Estivalis is preeminently a wine grape. 

 The fruit usually has a tart, acrid taste, due to the presence of 

 a high percentage of acid, but there is also a large amount of 

 sugar, the scale showing that juice from this species has a much 

 higher percentage of sugar than the sweeter-tasting Labruscas. 

 The wine made from varieties of ^Estivalis is very rich in color- 

 ing matter and is used by some European vintners to mix with 

 the must of European sorts in order to give the combined 

 product a higher color. The berries are destitute of pulp, 

 have a comparatively thin, tough skin and a peculiar spicy 

 flavor. The berries hang to the bunch after becoming ripe 

 much better than do those of Labrusca. 



This species thrives in a lighter and shallower soil than 

 Labrusca and appears to endure drought better, although not 

 equaling in this respect either Vulpina or Rupestris. The 

 French growers report that ^Estivalis is very liable to chlorosis 



