#vitaceae

[francescointoppa]

Vite (Vitis vinifera L., Vitaceae) (vecchia dia)

[ruthbancroftgarden]

Cyphostemma juttae

When we think of succulent plants, grapes don't usually come to mind. But they have relatives in the genus Cyphostemma that have greatly enlarged stems, as can be seen in the photo above of Cyphostemma juttae, native to southern Namibia. It sheds its leaves in winter, leaving the swollen base on full display, but in summer it puts out many huge leaves that partially obscure the stem. At this time of year, after the new leaves have emerged, but before they have become large and numerous enough to hide the stem, the plant comes into flower. The flowers are quite small, but attractive to bees.

-Brian

[wikipediapictures]

Grechetto

“Image of Grachetto di Todi grapes.” - via Wikimedia Commons

[falseandrealultravival]

Today's Haiku with Picture 722

Thrush

Now it’s a friend

Of grapes

ヤブガラシ

これでブドウの

仲間なり

Causonis Japonica. Vitaceae.

(2023.06.07)

[d3utschem4rk]

Ungleiches Paar (detail)

by Lucas Cranach d. Ä. (Bambergian, 1472 – 1553) oil on lime panel, 1532

Nationalmuseum Stockholm

[syngoniums]

An unfamiliar grape I found at a cemetery. Mustang grapes (Vitis mustangensis) dominate this region, but they are very obviously different; larger in every way, with bigger clusters of fruit, and the backs of the leaves are white. The black grapes are also very tart and sting your mouth thanks to high quantities of oxalates. In contrast, the few edible-looking grapes on this vine were red and glaucous and quite mild and sweet, even though I don't think they were fully ripe. This offers us some constraints: extremely heat- and drought resistant, back of leaf not tomentose and same color as the front, smaller, palatable fruit, one large seed per fruit (collected three, 5-6mm long), grows on alkaline soil. There were other things I should have paid attention to, like the color of the bark and exact dimensions, and I should have collected a leaf for closer inspection of any small hairs, but I didn't.

I am very much not a Vitis expert, and admittedly haven't been paying much attention to them in general. There are a number of species in the area, including some Edwards Plateau endemics. The interesting thing about grapes, in contrast to the vast majority of plants, is that viticulture has neurotically picked over and assessed every North American species and natural hybrid for agricultural potential, no matter how obscure. You can find incredibly detailed charts for distinguishing one named cultivar from another. Theoretically this should make identification rather easy, but I'm still not certain. The five-lobed leaves suggest aestivalis, but the soil does not. Rotundifolia also excluded by alkalinity as well as the large size of its fruit. Berlandieri aka cinerea var. helleri seems like the most likely option, though I cannot find any indication it assumes a 5 lobed form. I suppose I can't eliminate Vitis monticola, but the same issue applies. It could be a hybrid with mustangensis, which does have an elaborately lobed form. It could be some manmade escapee. I'll go back at some point and take a better look.

[biosemiotica]

Uva fragola (Vitis labrusca) under spring skies

[tofuist]

Japanese creeper by http://readercollection.com Via Flickr: by Korin Furuya (1875-1910), included in Shasei Soka Moyo (Designs of Grasses and Flowers Drawn from Life) – Japanese picture book published in 1907