CHAP. XXVI.

PITA CETE. Vl TJS.

470

1 3. V. ZiABnu'sCA L. The wild Vine, or Fox Grape.

Identification. Lin. Spec., 293.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 63k ; Don’s Mill , 1 . p, 733.

Synonymes. V. taurina Walt. ; filziger VVein., Her.

Engravings. Plum. Icon., t. 259. fig. 1. ; Jacq. Schcen., t. 426.; and our,/?#. 141.

Spec. Char., Sfc. Sexes dioecious or polygamous.

Leaves heart-shaped, rather 3-lobed, acutely toothedbeneath, and the peduncles tomentose and ratherrusty. {Dec. Prod., i. p.634.) A tendriled climber,growing to about the same height as the commonvine, but with much larger leaves (which are scarcelylobed, and downy, especially when young), andberries which are large and black, with a roughacid flavour, but are, nevertheless, eatable in a wildstate, and much improved by cultivation. Thewhole plant has a disagreeable foxy smell, whencethe name. “ The fruit is, according to ProfessorBigelow, large, purple, and pleasantly tasted; while Torrey remarks thatit has a strong disagreeable flavour in a wild state, but that, when cultivated,it is as pleasant as any of the varieties of V. vinffera.” (Ilook. F/or.Bor. Amer., p. 115.) There are two varieties growing in the vineyardsof North America; one with white berries, and the other with red ones.From both of the varieties, and from the species, an excellent wine is made;which, when kept for five or six years, resembles Moselle. In America,the varieties have been much improved by culture ; and, according toItafinesque (Med. FI., i. p. 121.), greatly increased in number by culture,with a view to the production of wine. In Britain, the plant can only beconsidered as ornamental; and,from the largeness of its foliage and fruit,it forms a very distinct species of Fitis. A plant of the red-fruited va-riety, in the garden of the London Horticultural Society, placed against awall with a west aspect, ripens fruit every year, which we have tasted, andfound by no means disagreeable. We have also had some bottles of theI wine sent us from America, which was not inferior to the weaker sorts of! Rhenish wines. Possibly this plant might deserve cultivation on the Con-i' tinent, with a view to the mixing of the fruit with that of the varieties of: the grape vine, in making wine; since austere varieties of apple and pear,j mixed with sugary varieties, are found to make the best kinds of cider andj perry. Plants of this species, in the London nurseries, are Is. 6 d. each;j at Bollwyller, 1 franc; and at New York, the species and its varieties arei 37j cents each.

A 3. V. jestiva'lis Michx. The Summer Vine, or Grape Vine.

Identification. Michx. FI. Bor. Airier., 2. p. 230.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 634.; Don’s Mil!., 1. p. 711.

Synonymes. V. Labrtzsca Walt. Fi. Car., 242.; V. vulpina Willd. Spec., p. 1181.; and E. of PI.,No. 2860.

Engravings. Jac. Hort. Schcen., t. 425.; E. of PI., 2860.; and out fig. 142.

'Spec. Char., fyc. Sexes dioecious, or polygamous. Leavesbroadly heart-shaped, with from 3 to 5 lobes; the undersurface of the young ones invested with a cottony down ;of the adult ones, smooth. Racemes fertile, oblong. Ber-ries small. {Dec. Prod., i. p. 634.) A native of NorthAmerica, and abounding there in woods and wastes, fromVirginia to Carolina. The berries are small, of a dark bluei colour, finely covered with bloom, not disagreeable to thei taste, and made into a very tolerable wine by the inhabi-tants. It was introduced into England in 1656, but is not| very common in collections.

4. V. sinua'ta G. Bon. The scallop-feawed Vine, or Summer Grape Vine.

‘Identification. Don’s Mill., 1. p. 711.

'Synonymes. V. cestiv&lis var. sinu&ta Ph. Flor. Amo. Sept., 1. p. 169. ; Dec. Prod., 1. 634. Proba-bly the V. /abruscoides of Muhl. Cat., 27.” {G. Don.)

Spec. Char., fyc. Sexes dioecious or polygamous. Leaves sinuately palmate, coarsely toothed, withrhomboid recesses ; young ones covered beneath with cobwebby rusty down ; adult ones smooth.{Don's Mill., i. p. 711.) Found in woods from Virginia to Carolina, along with the two precedingspecies, of the last of which, notwithstanding Mr. G. Don’s opinion, we think this only a variety,i The berries are dark blue, agreeable to eat, and a very good wine is made from them. Introducedinto England in 1656, but not much cultivated.

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