68 THE BOOK OF THE WILD GARDEN 



Vitis. — Vine. The Vines give us our most orna- 

 mental-foliage d climbers, the leaves of many of them 

 assuming beautiful colours in the autumn. The Vir- 

 ginian Creepers, formerly classed as Ampelopsis, are 

 now included in the genus Vitis. The Common Vir- 

 ginian Creeper, Vitis quinquefolia, with its large, 

 fingered leaves and elegant growth, is always a graceful 

 object, but in the autumn it becomes superb in its 

 crimson colouring. Being a very vigorous grower it 

 should be planted so that it may be enabled to ascend 

 trees. It will soon make itself at home in the branches 

 of large specimens of the Cupressus tribe and clothe 

 them in radiant hues. V. inconstans, formerly Ampel- 

 opsis Veitchii, is of very different habit, since it clings 

 naturally to wall or rock, thus being unsuited for tree- 

 climbing. It should be planted at the base of cliffs, 

 when it will find its way over its face unaided. Its 

 autumnal tints rival, if they do not excel, those of V. 

 quinquefolia. Its appearance is far more attractive on a 

 perpendicular mass of rock than on a house-wall, owing 

 to the inequalities of the former's surface. Another 

 Virginian Creeper is V. muralis. This also has a cling- 

 ing habit. In the true Vines we have much diversity in 

 the shape and colouring of the foliage. Most are noble 

 climbers that will soon mount to the top of a high tree. 

 Perhaps the most ornamental species is V. Coignetia, 

 which has very large leaves that in the autumn turn 

 a resplendent crimson — almost scarlet when seen against 

 the sun. The foliage of V. ca/ifornica, V. aestivalis and 

 V. Thunbergi becomes red in the autumn in favourable 

 seasons, and a variety of the common Vine, V. vini- 

 fera Teinturier, changes to claret-colour. Some other 

 Vines turn bright yellow as they fade. V. riparia is 

 noteworthy because of the mignonette-like perfume of 

 its flowers, and the small fruit of V. heterophylla humulifolia 

 makes it worthy of culture since it assumes a turquoise- 



