This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2011) |
Vitis ripariaMichx, withcommon namesriverbank grapeorfrost grape,[1]is a vine indigenous toNorth America.As a climbing or trailingvine,it is widely distributed across central and easternCanadaand the central and northeastern parts of theUnited States,fromQuebectoTexas,and easternMontanatoNova Scotia.There are reports of isolated populations in the northwestern USA, but these are probablynaturalized.[2]It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the uppercanopyof the tallesttrees.It produces dark fruit that are appealing to both birds and people, and has been used extensively in commercial viticulture asgraftedrootstockand inhybrid grapebreeding programs.
| Vitis riparia | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Vitales |
| Family: | Vitaceae |
| Genus: | Vitis |
| Species: | V. riparia
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| Binomial name | |
| Vitis riparia | |
Riverbank grapeis a translation of the scientific nameVitis riparia;rīpāriusmeans "of riverbanks" inLatin,[3]deriving fromrīpa"riverbank".
Description
editMaturevineshave loose, fissuredbark,and may attain several inches in diameter. Leaves are alternate, often with oppositetendrilsor inflorescences, coarsely toothed, 5–25 cm (2.0–9.8 in) long and 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) broad, sometimes with sparse hairs on the underside ofveins.
V. ripariais functionallydioecious.[3]Theinflorescenceis apanicle4–15 cm (1.6–5.9 in) long and loose, and theflowersare small, fragrant, and white or greenish in color.V. ripariablooms sometime between April and June and in August or September[4]produces a small 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) blue-blackberry(grape) with a bloom, seeded, juicy, edible, vinous in flavor, lacking the "foxy" characteristics ofVitis labrusca,but usually quitesourandherbaceous.V. ripariahas a wide range and may deviate considerably in detail from the above general description. White berries,perfect flowers,large clusters, large berries, and sweet fruit are among the known variations. However, some observers consider such variations as evidence of naturalhybridizationwith other species ofgrapes.
Habitat
editVitis ripariahas the largest geographical range of any of the North AmericanVitisspecies. It is present across nearly the entire eastern half of North America, from southernQuebec,toPiedmont, Alabama,and theCarolinas but absent of the coastal plains and the westerner parts of North America of theGreat Plains.Variants of the species have been observed as far north asRiding Mountain National ParkinManitoba,Canadaand as far west asMontana,Nebraska,andNorth Dakota.
In the wild, the vine thrives along exposed areas with good sun exposure and adequate soil moisture, such as riverbanks, forest clearings, fence lines and along road sides. The species has adapted to a variety ofsoil chemistries.
Cold hardiness and disease resistance
editSomeV. ripariavines have been known to withstand temperatures as low as −57 °C (−71 °F).[5]The foliage is typically resistant tomildewandblack rot,and the roots resistant tophylloxera.The berries, however, are often sensitive to mildew and black rot if the vine is exposed to prolonged wet and humid conditions.
Uses
editPerhaps the most significant agricultural usage ofV. ripariais as graftedrootstockforVitis vinifera.Important advantages of the use ofV. riparia(and hybrids between it and otherVitisspecies) include resistance tophylloxeraand adaptation to variant soil types.
Due to the extensivecold hardinessand fungal disease resistance of this species, it has been used extensively ingrape breedingprograms to transfer cold hardy and disease resistantgenesto domesticated grapes. The French-Americanhybrid grapesare notable examples of these attempts.V. ripariahas been used extensively for over a hundred years to create hardy hybrids. ManyV. ripariahybrids are currently being used and investigated by plant breeders and in breeding programs such as those conducted by theUniversity of Minnesota's horticulture program in an effort to make a commercially viable wine grape that can survive the northern climate of theUpper Midwest.Examples of commercially important cultivars with significantV. Ripariaancestry includeBaco noir,Marechal Foch,Triomphe d'AlsaceandFrontenac.
WhileV. ripariashares many important characteristics with its cousin,Vitis vinifera,the small size of the berry (making it prone to predation by birds), the high acidity of its fruit (often up to 5%titratable acidity), the intense pigment of its juice, and the presence ofherbaceousaromas in wine produced from it have made it unusable on its own for commercial viticulture.
These grapes are sometimes used to make flavorful homemadejellies,jams,andwine.[6]
Gallery
edit- Vitis riparia
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Botanical garden inBerlin,Germany. -
Vitis riparia in Germany -
Ontario, Canada -
Vitis riparia leaf -
Riparia gloire de Montpellier (rootstock)
References
edit- ^"Vitis riparia".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.Retrieved7 July2015.
- ^"Vitis riparia".County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA).Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
- ^abBurnham, Robyn J. (2014)."Vitis riparia".CLIMBERS: Censusing Lianas in Mesic Biomes of Eastern Regions.University of Michigan College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts.
- ^Moore, Michael O. (2016)."Vitis riparia".In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.).Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA).Vol. 12. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org,Missouri Botanical Garden,St. Louis, MO &Harvard University Herbaria,Cambridge, MA.
- ^Rombough, Lon.The Grape GrowerChelsea Green Publishing, 2002. p. 218.
- ^Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982].Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods.New York:Sterling.p. 214.ISBN978-1-4027-6715-9.OCLC244766414.
