| Arizona grape | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Arizona grape in Icebox Canyon,Spring Mountains, southernNevada | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Vitales |
| Family: | Vitaceae |
| Genus: | Vitis |
| Species: | V. arizonica |
| Binomial name | |
| Vitis arizonica | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Vitis arizonica is aNorth American species of wildgrape. It is adeciduousvine.
Common names for the grape are Arizona grape, canyon grape, and uva del monte.[2] It has historically been used as a food source byIndigenous peoples of the Southwest. Canyon grape can tolerate drought and cold temperatures. It grows in a variety of habitats includingriparian zones and shady canyons.[3] It can hybridize withmustang grape,sweet mountain grape, andCalifornia wild grape where their ranges overlap.[4]
Vitis is Latin for "vine", whilearizonica means "of or from Arizona". The plant was described byGeorge Engelmann in 1871.[5]
Arizona grape is found inCalifornia (Inyo County),Arizona,Nevada,New Mexico, westernTexas, southernUtah,Sonora,Chihuahua,Coahuila,Durango, andTamaulipas.[1] Within Arizona,Vitis arizonica is found in all counties, exceptLa Paz.[6][7][8]
Form: VineGeneral: Woody vine, sprawling or weakly climbing; stems generally 2–6 m long; the young twigs densely woolly, but losing this over time and the bark becoming shreddy.Leaves: Winter deciduous; broadly cordate, 3–10 cm long and about as wide, irregularly toothed and sometimes shallowly 3-lobed, more-or-less cottony hairy; petiole 1–3 cm long; tendrils opposite the leaves, bifurcate, lacking adhesive discs, withering quickly if not attached to something.Flowers: Inflorescence a loose, open, strongly branched panicle, 2–10 cm long, emerging opposite the leaves; flowers tiny with five, white petals.Fruits: Edible (but sometimes bitter) grapes, 8–10 mm thick, black.[2]
The canyon grape is a vigorously branching vine. Stems are slender, with significant tapering from base to apex. Fully developed leaves resemble a three-lobed heart shape and generally grow to an average of 4 inches long/wide. Leaves exhibit irregular toothed edge. Green flower buds develop in clusters, and small flowers bloom in a whitish green hue. Globe or ovate shaped fruit are typically 1/3-3/8 in diameter; immature fruit is green in color, developing into a deep purple or black. Fruit are clustered on red pedicels.[9]
Vitis arizonica has been used in breeding varieties resistant toPierce's Disease.[10]Canyon grape is edible with different individual plants being sweet and others being bitter. The fruit can be used for wine making and jams, but is mainly consumed by wildlife.[2] It is consumed by both birds and mammals. Canyon grape has historically been used as a food source by many Indigenous peoples. Historically it was cultivated by thePueblo, and was eaten both fresh or dried. Other tribes consumed it as well, such as theChiricahua andMescalero Apache.[5] Both Native Americans and early European settlers would chew on grape leaves to quench their thirst. Aside from food, it was also used by theHavasupai to make toys, used by theNavajo in courtship rituals, and was used by theJemez to make ritual items.[5]
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