The seed which produced Brilliant was planted by Munson in 1883 and the variety was introduced by him in 1887. It has been widely tested by experimenters and grape-growers and is highly spoken of, whether in the East, West, North or South.
Vine variable in growth averaging vigorous, usually hardy, not always productive. Canes long, numerous, thick, darkish-brown; nodes enlarged, usually flattened; internodes long to medium; diaphragm thick; pith large, shoots pubescent; tendrils intermittent, long, bifid.
Leaf-buds somewhat large, short, thick, obtuse to conical, open late. Young leaves heavily tinged on both sides with mahogany-red changing to light carmine. Leaves medium to large, thick; upper surface dark green, dull, rugose; lower surface grayish-green, downy; veins well defined; entire or obscurely three-lobed with terminal lobe blunt to acute; petiolar sinus deep, narrow, V-shaped; basal and lateral sinuses obscure and shallow when present; teeth intermediate in depth and width. Flowers open medium late, fertile; stamens upright.
Fruit ripens unevenly, in season about with Delaware, keeps a long time. Clusters average larger than Delaware, intermediate in length and breadth, often blunt, cylindrical to somewhat conical, usually slightly shouldered, medium to compact; peduncle rather thick; pedicel medium to short, thick, covered with few small warts, wide at point of attachment to berry; brush short, thick, pale green with reddish-brown tinge. Berries average larger than Delaware, roundish to very slightly oval, attractive dark red, not so brilliant as Delaware but more so than Brighton, rather glossy, covered with abundant lilac bloom, adhere strongly to pedicel, firm. Skin rather thin and tough, adheres considerably to pulp, contains no pigment, slightly astringent. Flesh pale green, rather transparent, juicy, slightly stringy, inclined to tenderness when fully ripe, fine-grained, vinous, sweetish at skin but tart next the seeds, good but not equal to Delaware. Seeds cling somewhat to pulp, one to four in number, average three, rather large and broad, slightly elongated, plump, light brown; raphe obscure; chalaza large, slightly above center, irregularly circular to slightly oval, distinct.
BROWN.
(Labrusca, Vinifera?)
1. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 12:619. 1893. 2. Bush. Cat., 1894:96. 3. N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 14:277. 1895. 4. Ib., 17:527, 548, 554. 1898. 5. Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1899:90. 6. Rural N. Y., 59:722. 1900. 7. Ib., 65:914. 1906. 8. Ib., 65:937. 1906. 9. Ib., 66:24. 1907.