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The root
The root of the vine varies according to the species and the way in which the
plant is propagated i.e. from seeds, buds, or cuttings.
The stem
The tendrils
The tendrils grow out on the sides of the nodes opposite the leaves. They wind
round the branches of trees and shrubs, or artificial supports, and enable the
vine to support itself and climb upwards.
The flower
Vine flower.
The calyx consists of five small teeth, the sepals; the corolla of five
petals, which are joined at the top, forms a sort of hood. When the flower is
fully developed the hood falls off, revealing the five stamens, which carry the
pollen and the central pistil, shaped like a tiny flask. In some kinds of vine
stamens and pistils are borne on separate flowers.
The fruit
The fruit of the vine is called a grape. This is how the fruit cluster appears
before and after picking grapes.
A grape
In the grape or berry we can make out three distinct parts: the skin or epicarp;
the pulpy mesocarp, containing the juice or 'must', rich in sugars and acid; and,
lying within this, the pips or seeds which form the endocarp.
The seeds
Both the size and shape of the seeds vary according to the species of vine. The
seeds contain an oily substance (10 to 20 percent by weight) which supplies
nourishment for the embryo at the time of germination.
Pruning and shaping the vine
has larger fruits, 6-22 mm, which are sweet and vary in colour from green,
yellow, red, or blackish-purple, with 2 or no seeds. It is often grafted on to
stock from American species and cultivated in great quantities for its sweet
fruits (grapes), wine-making, raisins or sultanas (small seedless grapes which
are dried), etc.
Especially in the more isolated areas like the many abandoned small villages,
the cultivated grapevine frequently escapes and becomes naturalized. These
plants are monoecious like their cultivated parents.
The grapevine has been cultivated since ancient times; it was extensively grown
in Crete according to the paintings on old vases, and from Greece they were
first imported into Italy. The Romans introduced the grape into S.E. Europe.
This is the "old world grape" or "European grape". accounting for more then
90% of world production, including cultivars such as: Pinot Noir, Cabernet
Sauvignon, White Riesling, Chardonnay, and Black Corinth.
However, Vitis vinifera L. is not a very pure species. In the literature there are
over 100 species in the Vitis-family (Vitaceae), about 60 of these are thought to
be genuine species and more then 40 are questionable (probably hybrids
between different species, many of them are very indistinct from each other).
The origin of Vitis is almost entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and they are
abundant in North America. Nearly every American state has its own native
Vitis species.
When the grape root louse (phylloxera) reached Europe from north-central
USA in 1860, the need for resistant rootstocks arose. Vitis labrusca L. (syn. V.
labruscana Bailey) and other species native to the host range of the phylloxera
(north-central USA) were hybridized with V. vinifera to produce a range of
stocks with resistance. In addition to use as rootstocks, some hybrids were
found which had both resistance and excellent wine quality attributes. V.
labrusca itself was not very pure, probably contaminated with other native
American grapes and vinifera grapes. Also, Vitis aestivalis Michaux was used
to obtain resistance to diseases in European hybrids, i.e., crosses were made
between V. vinifera and V. aestivalis, as well as with other American species;
these are primarily crosses between V. vinifera and one or more of V. labrusca,
V. riparia, V. aestivalis, Vitis rotundifolia Mich.,Vitis rupestris Sch. or Vitis
gegas. The species occur in widely different geographical areas and show a
great diversity of form. They are closely related and allow easy interbreeding
and the resultanting hybrids are always fertile and vigorous. Thus the concept
of a species is less well defined and more likely represents different ecotypes of
Vitis that have evolved in distinct geographical circumstances.
Now, let's take a closer look the grapevine, and I mean the cultivated grapevine,
Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera.
probably native of Caspian and Caucasus region of S.W. Asia until S.E.
Europe; it is now cultivated extensively in Central Europe extending
northwards in S.W. Poland, W. Germany and The Netherlands, the whole
Mediterranean region, Iran, China, Japan, N. & S. Africa, Australia, India, and
Pakistan.
One of the most important products of the grape vine is wine. In Egyptian
hieroglyphics the culture of grapes and wine making is described as early as
2440 BC. Probably the Phoenicians carried grape cultivars to Greece, as wine
was known to both the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures and wine was
frequently mentioned in the works of Homer and Aesop. To prevent the effects
of heavy consumption of alcohol, wine was usually watered down at a ratio of
four or five parts water to one of wine and served in "mixing bowls". Greek
wine was widely known and exported throughout the Mediterranean basin, and
amphorae with Greek styling and paintings have been found throughout the
area. The Greeks brought it to Rome and southern France before 600 BC, and
the Romans toke the grape with them throughout Europe. Grapes were then
brought to the far east via traders from Persia and India. In our modern days
alcohol is too often connected with violence and vandalism, so it is not strange
that Dionysus the Greek god of both wine and revelry was.
Although glass bottles were known to the Greeks, they were more commonly
used by the Romans. Cork closures, although known to exist at the time, were
not very common. Therefore, the Romans used olive oil to "float" atop wine to
preserve it from oxidation. Their oil method of preservation was apparently
effective enough to keep the wine from evaporation up to modern day.
Many diseases threaten the culture of vines. The most well known is Phylloxera
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylloxera ). This is an American root aphid
that devastated V. vinifera vineyards in Europe when accidentally introduced in
the late 19th century. Attempts were made to cross in resistance from American
species, but winemakers didn't like the 'foxy' flavours of the hybrid vines.
Fortunately, V. vinifera grafts easily onto rootstocks of the American species,
and most commercial production of grapes now relies on such grafts.
Grape Vine or Vitis vinifera, showing young flower (1), vertical section of
flower (2), flower without corolla (3), vintage engraved illustration. Trousset
ency Vector by Morphart