CHAPTER H. 



BOTANY AND HYBRIDIZATION OF THE GRAPE. 



old Latin noun vitis, meaning " vine," derived 

 from the verb vieo, "to bind with twigs," was adopt- 

 ed by Tounefort, and accepted by Linnaeus, as the botanic 

 name for the grape. Dr. Whittaker expresses the opinion 

 that it is derived from the noun vis, signifying " strength." 

 The grape belongs to the natural order Vitaceaa, and to 

 the class Pentandria and order Monogynia of Linnaeus. 

 In the European species, the flowers are generally perfect ; 

 but in our native kinds the flowers are frequently imper- 

 fect, the stamens and pistils being separated in different 

 flowers. In common language, the grape is divided into 

 two classes, the European and the American. These 

 two classes are decidedly distinct ; and yet there are va- 

 rieties of each family which have so few of these distinc- 

 tions, and approach so nearly to the characteristics of the 



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