238 The Natural System of Botany. 



office is performed by the principal leaf-stalk, which lengthens 

 branches, and twists itself round bushes and the branches of 

 smaller shrubs. In some plants, indeed, this office is actually 

 performed by the tips of the petals. In the Vine, the arrange- 

 ment is different from all those just mentioned, and equally sim- 

 ple; a considerable number of supernumerary panicles are 

 prepared, on which no flowers are formed, but, in their room 

 a power of twisting round other bodies is communicated to the 

 branches ; and these form what we call tendrils." 



The flowers of the Vine grow on short stalks which diverge 

 from others, and these branch from the central stem; in this 

 manner, when the fruit is ripe, a cluster is formed, differing 

 considerably from that in which the fruit-stalks at once proceed 

 from the stem, as in the Currant. The former arrnngernentis 

 a panicle, the latter a raceme. The calyx is very small, and 

 undivided into sepals. Within it are seen in the bud, five 

 petals which are held together at the point, though separate at 

 the base. The stamens are five, opposite to the petals, and 

 alternately with the stamens are five small glands. The ovary 

 is two-celled, and the stigma sessile. The fruit is, as every 

 body knows, a succulent berry, with several hard seeds in the 

 pulp. An additional character of the Vine, is the tendency of 

 the branches to swelling near the points from which the leaves 

 proceed ; this is very strongly developed in the young plant. 

 Most of the tribe differ so little in these peculiarities from the 

 Grape, as to be at once recognised. The chief differences are 

 in the size of their flowers and fruit, and the taste of the latter. 

 In our native Fox Grape, for instance, the fruit is utterly unfit 

 to eat, having a very disagreeable taste ; and other species re- 

 semble it in this respect In the common Virginian Creeper, 

 {Ampelopsis,) the leaves are divided into five distinct segments, 

 and every one has remarked the fine crimson color to which 

 they change in the autumn. 



The cultivation of the Vine may be traced to a very high 

 antiquity. Its growth, and the preparation of wine from the 

 fruit, were probably understood before the deluge, since we 

 read that immediately after that catastrophe, Noah planted a 

 vineyard, and became intoxicated by drinking the wine. It 

 appears that the culture of the grape was practised in Egypt, 



