Vitis (vitis)

[NL. (Malpighi, 1675; earlier by Brunfels, 1530), 6774 cluding the grape, type of the order Vitaceæ or Ampelidaceæ. It is characterized by polygamodiæcio us flowers, each with a cap of 5 coherent caducous petals. From Ci us, its tropical representative, it is further distinguished by its conical or thickened (not subulate) style; and from the other genera, as Ampelopsis, the common Virginia creeper or American ivy, by its pyriform seeds. There are about 30 species, natives of the northern hemisphere, chiefly within temperate regions. They are shrubby climbers with simple or lobed leaves (rarely digitate, like Ampelopsis ), and long branching tendrils produced opposite the leaves, and also from the flower-stalk. The inflorescence is a thyrsus of inconspicuous flowers, often very fragrant, usually greenish, and peculiar in the fall of the unopened petals without expansion. The fruit, a pulpy berry, is normally two-celled and with two to four seeds, to which the pulp adheres in the American, but does not in the one or two European species. By Planch on (1872) the genus is divided into two sections - Eur it is, with a peculiar thin brown fibrous bark which soon sep a rates and hangs in shreddy plates; and Muscadin i a, consisting of V. rotund i folia ( V. vulpina ), the muscadine, and V. Muns on i an a, the bird-grape of Florida, peculiar in their closely adherent punctate bark, nearly elliptical seeds, somewhat cymose inflorescence, and unbranched tendrils. southern and central Europe, known in America as the The most important species, V. vinifera, is the vine of European, hot - house, or California grape, native in Turkey, Persia, and Tatary, probably also in Greece and in the vitreousne withe of the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America. The only other American species not found in the United States is V. Blanco i i of the Sierra Madre. A few species are peculiar to Asia, 5 to Japan, China, and India, V. Amurensis to Siberia. The numerous tropical and south temperate species formerly ascribed to Vitis are now re ferred to Ci us, including 17 in Australia. Several in mountains of India and Java produce edible fruit; 3 extend within the southern United States, 2 in Texas-the shrub V. bipinnata (now Ci us stans) and the ornamental vine known as yerba del buey, V. (C.) incisa - and 1 in Florida, V. (C.) sicyoides, for which see china - root and bastard bryony (under bryony ).