Vitis riparia
Vitis rotundifolia
frost grape, river grape, river-bank grape, vigne de rivages
muscadine, scuppernong
bark exfoliating in shreds;
nodal diaphragms to 0.5 mm thick;
branchlets terete, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous, growing tips enveloped by unfolding leaves, glabrous or sparsely hairy;
tendrils along length of branchlets, persistent, branched, tendrils (or inflorescences) at only 2 consecutive nodes;
nodes not red-banded.
branchlets terete to slightly angled, usually sparsely grayish arachnoid, glabrescent, growing tips not enveloped by unfolding leaves;
tendrils along length of branchlets, persistent, tendrils (or inflorescences) at only 2 consecutive nodes;
nodes sometimes red-banded.
stipules 3–5 mm;
petiole 1/2 to ± equaling blade;
blade cordate, 6–20 cm, 3-shouldered to shallowly 3-lobed, apex short acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, glabrate, visible through hairs, veins and vein axils hirtellous, adaxial surface glabrous.
stipules 1–2 mm;
petiole mostly ± equaling blade;
blade cordate to nearly reniform, 2–12 cm, rarely lobed, apex short acuminate, abaxial surface not glaucous, glabrous, visible through hairs, veins and vein axils sometimes sparsely to densely hirtellous, adaxial surface glabrous.
(4–)9–12 cm.
3–8(–10) cm.
functionally unisexual.
functionally unisexual.
black, heavily glaucous, globose, 8–12 mm diam., skin separating from pulp;
lenticels absent.
usually black or purplish, sometimes bronze when ripe, glaucous, globose, 8–25 mm diam., skin separating from pulp;
lenticels present.
= 38.
Vitis riparia
Vitis rotundifolia
Vitis riparia is native throughout much of its range. It has become naturalized in a few locations in Saskatchewan, Oregon, and Washington. Plants on dunes around the Great Lakes with hairier petioles and leaf blades sometimes have been recognized as var. syrticola; variation in hairiness is essentially continuous, however, and the form is not worthy of taxonomic recognition (P. M. Catling and G. Mitrow 2005).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Berries 15–25 mm diam., usually 2–8 per infructescence; seeds 9+ mm. | var. rotundifolia |
1. Berries 8–12 mm diam., 12–30 per infructescence; seeds to 6 mm. | var. munsoniana |
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
