NOMENCLATURE OF GRAPES. 199 



VITIS .ESTIVALIS. PURSH. MICHAUX. TOEREY. 



Summer grape. Bunch grape. 



Little grape. Blue grape. 



Vitis intermedia) Muhl. Vitis sylvestris, vel occidentalism Bartram. 



. _ v 'y'Cfj TH/ff i ' rA-i ! i j'li }*. 



The leaves of this vine are three to five lobed, dentate on 

 their borders, and when young are covered beneath with a 

 russet down, that becomes less perceptible on the old leaves, 

 which are nearly smooth, except on the larger veins ; there are 

 several varieties, one of which has the leaves very deeply lobed> 

 and is the V. sinuata of Pursh and others. The V. laciniosa, 

 Lin., and V. palmata, Vahl., are also supposed by Torrey to 

 be referrible to different varieties of this grape, with very di- 

 vided leaves. In some of our forests where the soils are rich, 

 vines of this species ascend to the tops of the loftiest trees, 

 their naked shoots extending from the ground to the upper- 

 most branches sometimes 60 and 80 feet from the earth. The 

 flowers expand the beginning of June, the berries are of small 

 size, and globose form, of a dark blue colour, and pleasant 

 flavour, they are rather closely set on oblong bunches, and 

 attain to maturity at the end of August or in September 

 the best varieties are deemed valuable to cultivate for wine, 

 but the merits of the greater part of them have been as yet but 

 partially tested. Michaux, and Pursh rank this species as 

 a native of Virginia and Carolina, but it is frequently met 

 with in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and is not uncommon in 

 New-Jersey and in this state. The common appellation for 

 it among the inhabitants is Summer grape, and by them it is 

 readily distinguished from the fox grape or V. Idbrusca, by 

 its inferiority in size, and being unattended with the disagree- 

 able fox-scent which that generally possesses. I have been 

 thus particular in giving the leading characteristics of this 

 species, as many of the varieties of grapes which I have enu- 

 merated or partially described, it was found impossible until 

 further investigation in regard to their qualities, to refer to the 



