18 Dr. Engelmann. 
BUSHBERG CATALOGUE. 
Classification. 
Our plant is readily distinguished from 
Riparia by the thick diaphragm, the red 
branches, its late flowering and its bloomiass, 
late ripening berries; from Cordifolia the 
form of the leaves and of the seeds, and its 
ready growth from cuttings, easily separate it. 
ll. Viris RreariA, Michaux, the Grape-vine 
of the river banks, has lately acquired a great 
deal of importance, as it has now become the 
principal Grape-vine relied on in France for 
the renovation of their failing vineyards. for 
which its vigorous growth, adapted to almost 
all climates, its perfect resistance to the insect, 
its easy growth from cuttings, and its ready 
taking of grafts, seem to peculiarly fit it. 
This species climbs over bushes and small 
trees, or trails over the rocks on our river 
banks. It is also found inland, always near 
diaphragms very 
thin ({ to } line thick) ; the stipules large (2-3 
lines long) and very thin, and persist longer 
than in most other species ; leaves of a light 
green, shining, glabrous or often hairy below, 
with a wide, rounded, or even truncate sinus : 
. mostly small and compact ; berries small (four 
or rarely five lines in r), black, with a 
_ bloom, sweet and very tis scarcely pulpy; 
seeds (figs. 22 to 25) obtuse or slightly notched, 
_— en chalaza, raphe indistinct or very 
It << the widest geographical distribution 
of any of our Grape-vines, and is the hardiest 
. —— all. It extends s northward to Lake St. 
os Quebec, <a to the 
a solar the Upper Mississippi in 
and the shores of Lake Superior ; in the South 
it is common on the banks of the Ohio and in 
2 Kentucky, Illinois, d Ar 
French now distinguish several types of Ri 
‘differing. somewiat in thelr minor eharacteri 
f Sania 
isa a. which i — 
es = al m almost incised, a 
canta and the oe from the © U; 
ais expeaition' Ww ag Fone ag Seen Sg return from peer 
Seto 
and in the Indian Territory. I have not seen 
it from Louisiana or Texas, but a furm of it is 
found in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and 
New Mexico, and perhaps in southern Utah. 
It is the earliest flowering species about St. 
Louis, according to season, between April 25th 
and May 15th, and matures earlier than any 
other. In St. Louis it used to be brought 
to market, before we had cultivated grapes, 
sometimes as early as July Ist, from the rocky, 
sun-exposed banks of the river below town, 
and was, indeed, known as the ‘‘ June Grape.’’ 
From that time on ripe fruit is found, ac- 
cording to locality, through August and Sep- 
tember. It is battie ace that our vintners, as 
ar as I can learn, have never made wine from 
this species, nor pee to cultivate and improve 
it. The berries probably seem too small, and 
they may have expected better results from 
the larger fruits of 2stivalis ; but the experi- 
ment might yet be made, and our woods might 
be examined for larger-fruited varieties, which 
really do occur, e. g., along the Lakes and on 
Niagara, near Detroit, etc 
has been stated above, this species has 
been confounded with Vitis cordifolia, to which 
indeed, it bears a ce: 
culty of one and the readiness of the other to 
grow from cuttings be not taken into account. 
12. Viris RupeEsTRIs, Scheele, mostly a 
low, bushy plant, often without any, or with 
wea 
de), ga 
cordate, NES very Sue toh. mostly 
broader than long, ypened somewhat folded 
together, with broad, coarse teeth, and com- 
monly with an itis en elongated point, gla- 
brous, shining, of @ very 
stipules 
sized, sweet, and in very small bune 
obtuse, with a slender or almost invisible 
= 
overitowed in m apring, more rarely gs ‘oxas) : 
