DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS 



363 



forest and shade trees and the wood is used for many purposes. 

 The sap of the sugar maple (A. saccharum) is used extensively 

 in the manufacture of sugar. 



ViTACEiE (Grape Family). — Shrubs, usually climbing by 

 tendrils ; leaves alternate, palmately veined or compound ; flower 

 clusters and tendrils opposite the leavesi; flower regular; sepals 



Fig. 205. — Maple. 



very small ; petals fo'Ur or five ; stamens five and opposite the 

 petals ; pistil short ; fruit a pulpy berry. 



The grape was cultivated in very ancient time, 4000 years 

 or more B.C. It is indigenous to both the old and new worlds, 

 but the two types are somewhat different; the old-world grapes, 

 which have probably been derived from VUis vinifera, include 

 the wine- and raisin-producing varieties, while the American 

 grapes, which have been derived from V. rotundifolia or the 

 southern fox grape and T^ labrusca or northern fox grape, are 

 most .valuable as table grapes. The history of the grape industry 



