1. Buckley, Proc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1861:450. 2. Ib., U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt., 1861:485. White grape; Mountain grape. 3. Engelmann, Bush. Cat., 1883:10, 12, 14, 15, 16. Mountain grape of West Texas. 4. Munson, Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1885:134. Mountain grape. 5. Ib., Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt., 1887:59. Mountain grape. 6. Ib., U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul., 3:13. 1890. V. Texana. 7. Ib., Gar. and For., 3:474, 475. 1890. 8. Ib., Am. Gard., 12:586. 1891. Sweet Mountain grape. 9. Ib., Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1893:116. 10. Bailey, Gray’s Syn. Fl., 1:422. 1897. Sweet Mountain grape. 11. Munson, Tex. Sta. Bul., 56:230, 232, 234, 239, 260. 1900. Sweet Mountain grape. 12. Viala and Ravaz, Am. Vines, 1903:42, 96.
Vine of moderate vigor, climbing, or, in the absence of support, frequently shrubby. Canes very slender; shoots angled, more or less pubescent; diaphragms medium to rather thin; tendrils medium in size, intermittent, usually bifid, deciduous. Leaves with stipules short, broad; leaf-blade small and thin, cordate, entire, notched or shortly three-lobed; petiolar sinus rather deep and medium to narrow in width, sometimes overlapping, rounded; margin broadly and obtusely toothed; apex usually acuminate; upper surface smooth, glossy; lower surface grayish-green, more or less pubescent when young; pubescence confined chiefly to ribs and veins. Clusters short and broad, compact, with medium to short peduncle. Berries medium to below in size, black or gray with thin bloom. Seeds large, usually slightly notched; chalaza rather narrow; raphe a groove. Leafing, flowering, and ripening fruit very late.
Vitis monticola was named and described by Buckley in 1861. There seems to have been some misunderstanding by later botanists as to exactly what Buckley’s species of this name is, and in spite of what has been written on the subject, it seems as though some of the botanists are still describing different species. The seed, in Engelmann’s figure, resembles that of the Rupestris very closely, while as figured by Viala the seeds resemble those of Cinerea or Cordifolia.
Monticola inhabits the limestone hills of central and southwestern Texas.
The fruit of this species has a very sweet and somewhat peculiar flavor. The vines can be propagated from cuttings only with difficulty. The species is adapted to a hot, dry climate and limestone land. It is found to be very resistant to phylloxera and is sometimes recommended as a stock for Vinifera but is not generally considered as valuable in this respect as Berlandieri. It is without value for its fruit and is of no horticultural importance to the eastern American grape-grower.
5. VITIS RIPARIA[134] Michx.
1. Tournefort, Inst. Rei Herb., 1:613. 1700. V. Canadensis aceris folio. 2. (?) Linnaeus, Sp. Pl., 1753:203. V. vulpina. 3. (?) Walter, 1788:242. V. vulpina. 4. (?) Willdenow, 1:1181. 1797. V. vulpina. 5. Michaux, 2:231. 1803. 6. (?) Bartram, Dom. Enc., 5:291. 1804. V. serotina; Winter grape. 7. Pursh, 1:169. 1814. V. odoratissima. 8. Nuttall, 1818:143. 9. Elliott, 2:688. 1824. Winter grape? 10. Torrey, Fl. of N. & M. Sta., 1826:121. 11. Rafinesque, 1830:15. River grape; Bermuda vine; Mignonette vine. 12. Ib., 1830:16. V. odoratissima. 13. Prince, 1830:193. V. odoratissima; Sweet scented. 14. Torrey, Fl. of N. Y., 1:147. 1843. Winter grape. 15. Le Conte, Trans. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., 6:273. 1853. V. dimidiata. 16. Ib., 6:272. V. vulpina; V. aestivalis of some; V. cordifolia of many; V. callosa; V. hyemalis; Winter grape. 17. Buckley, U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt., 1861:483. V. cordifolia, var. RIPARIA. 18. Saunders, U. S. D. A. Rpt., 1869:82, 85, 87. V. cordifolia, var. RIPARIA. 19. Engelmann, Mo. Ent. Rpt., 1872:61. 20. Ib., Bush. Cat., 1883:10, 11, 12, 14, 18. Riverside grape. 21. Bush, Ib., 1883:23. 22. Munson, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1885:97, 98. Riverside grape. 23. Ib., Am. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1885:131. Riverside grape. 24. Ib., Soc. Prom. Ag. Sci. Rpt., 1887:59. Riverside grape. 25. Planchon, De Candolle’s Mon. Phan., 5:323, 352. 1887. V. vulpina; V. incisa; V. intermedia; V. odoratissima; V. Virginiana; V. Canadensis aceris folio. 26. Munson, U. S. D. A. Pom. Bul., 3:9. 1890. 27. Ib., Gar. and For., 3:474. 1890. 28. Bailey, Am. Gard., 14:353. 1893. fig. V. vulpina; V. riparia. 29. Husmann, 1895:175. V. cordifolia. 30. Ib., 1895:188. 31. Britton and Brown, 2:410. 1897. fig. V. vulpina; V. riparia; V. cordifolia, var. riparia; Riverside grape; Sweet scented grape. 32. Bailey, Gray’s Syn. Fl., 1:422. 1897. V. vulpina; Riverbank; Frost; V. riparia; V. serotina; V. odoratissima; V. Illinoensis?; V. Missouriensis?; V. tenuifolia?; V. cordifolia, var. riparia; V. vulpina, var. riparia. 33. Munson, Tex. Sta. Bul., 56:218, 219, 230, 239, 260. 1900. V. vulpina; Riverside; V. riparia. 34. Viala and Ravaz. Am. Vines, 1903:42, 104.
Vine vigorous to very vigorous, climbing. Shoots cylindrical or slightly angled, usually smooth, slender; diaphragms thin; tendrils intermittent, slender, usually bifid. Leaves with large stipules; leaf-blade medium to large, thin, entire, three, or lower ones often five-lobed; sinuses shallow, angular; petiolar sinus broad, usually rather shallow; margin with incised, sharply serrate teeth of variable size; of a light green color, glabrous above, usually glabrous but sometimes slightly pubescent on ribs and veins below. Cluster medium to small, generally compact, shouldered; peduncle short. Berries small to medium, black with a heavy blue bloom. Seeds usually two to four, small, usually slightly notched, short, plump, with very short beak; chalaza narrowly oval, depressed, indistinct; raphe usually a groove, sometimes slightly distinct. Very variable in flavor and time of ripening. (See Plate.)
The first mention we have of Vitis riparia is by Tournefort in 1700, who, without further description, calls it Vitis canadensis aceris folio, or Maple-leaved Canadian grape.[135] Linnaeus in 1753 described mixed specimens of Cordifolia and Riparia under the name of Vitis vulpina. His description is as follows:[136] “Leaves cordate, dentate-serrate, glabrous on both sides.” Walter and Willdenow copy the description of Linnaeus. The first description which is clear, and the identity of which has never been questioned, is that of Michaux in 1803, under the name Riparia. He says: “Leaves unequally and sharply dentate, slightly 3-lobed. Petioles, veins and margins pubescent. Called by French residents Vigne des battures. Habitat along the banks and on the islands of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, etc.” Bartram, in 1804, under the name of Vitis serotina, or Winter grape, describes a vine which may be Riparia or may be Cordifolia as it has some of the characters of both.