Synonyms

  • Vitis berlandieri Planchon
  • Vitis montana Buckley
  • Vitis aestivalis var. monticola Engelmann
  • Vitis monticola Millardet
  • Vitis cordifolia-coriacea Davin
  • Mountain Grape
  • Little Mountain Grape
  • Sugar Grape
  • Sweet Mountain Grape
  • Winter Grape
  • Fall Grape
  • Berlandière

Historical Background

The oldest herbarium specimens of this species were collected in Texas (Bexar County) in 1834 and 1836 by the French botanist Jean-Louis Berlandier. For a long time, these specimens were preserved in the collections of Washington, Cambridge, and Europe without a specific species designation. Later, the researcher J. E. Planchon, having thoroughly studied the herbaria and living vines in the collections of the National School of Agriculture in Montpellier, separated this form into a distinct species and named it in honor of its discoverer — Vitis berlandieri.

Scientific disagreements arose during the study of the species. Dr. G. Engelmann erroneously believed that only one species of mountain grape inhabited the limestone highlands of central Texas and identified Vitis berlandieri with the previously described species Vitis monticola Buckley. This viewpoint was initially supported by the researcher Millardet as well. However, the scientist S. B. Buckley clearly distinguished between these two vines: a specimen was found in his personal archives with the author's note "Vitis montana. Buck. Mountain grape", the morphology of which fully corresponds to Vitis berlandieri. Further research confirmed that Vitis berlandieri and Vitis monticola share few common characteristics, except for a partially overlapping geographical range.

The practical value of the species remained at the level of assumption for a long time. The ability of the vine to develop on poor limestone soils was noted by Engelmann, Millardet, and Munson. However, a major breakthrough occurred in 1887 during the expedition of the French scientist P. Viala through the chalky regions of Texas. He proved that Vitis berlandieri possesses high resistance to lime-induced chlorosis, which made this species and its subsequent interspecific hybrids the foundation for restoring European vineyards on highly calcareous and chalky soils.

Geographical Distribution and Ecological Features

Vitis berlandieri is endemic to the southern regions of North America, with the highest population density in the hilly and mountainous areas of the western and central parts of the state of Texas. The plant is confined mainly to dry, rocky ridges of the Cretaceous period. The species is adapted to growing on poor, dry limestone substrates and white marls, where most other species of American grapevines perish from chlorosis.

Morphological Description

Despite the high variability of external characters depending on soil and climatic conditions, key species characteristics remain stable.

  • Habit of the vine and vegetative organs: Vines are characterized by a climbing habit. The growth rate and vigor of the aboveground part depend on environmental conditions: on poor, dry limestone slopes, the vines develop slowly, forming small shoots; when growing on fertile and moist riverbanks (for example, near the Colorado and San Antonio rivers), the vine reaches considerable sizes with a massive trunk. The root system is rigid, highly branched, with thick and hard skeletal roots capable of penetrating deeply into dense, rocky, and dry soil horizons.
  • Shoots and tendrils: Young growing shoots have a pronounced angularity (the presence of distinct ribs on the cross-section is a constant species trait). The surface of young shoots is covered with a floccose, cobwebby pubescence, the density of which varies among different forms. The color of matured annual shoots has a characteristic ash-grey or light pale hue, sometimes with a wine-red tint on the sunny side. The internodes are of medium length. The diaphragm is well-developed and dense. Tendrils are intermittent, of moderate thickness, and branched.
  • Leaf blade: The leaf blade is characterized by a virtual absence of distinct teeth along the entire margin, which is a common species feature for most forms of Vitis berlandieri. The blade is thick, rigid, and brittle, with a pronounced wrinkled surface between the veins. The upper surface of the leaf has a dark green, mostly shiny coloration; in certain forms, it is dark green and matte with occasional flakes of cobwebby down along the main veins. The lower surface is lighter, often featuring an intense gloss with a golden-yellowish tint. The main veins are strongly prominent and permeated with rare cobwebby down, while the smaller ramifications are covered with numerous short, stiff hairs in the form of a small brush, making the leaf rough to the touch. The petiole is robust, shorter than the leaf blade, round in cross-section with a weak furrow, colored an intense purple when herbaceous, and becomes matte grey upon maturity.
  • Clusters and berries: The cluster is of medium or above-medium size, dense, compact, and pyramidal or cylindrical-conical in shape. In many varieties, the clusters are large, highly branched, and lobed (often with two distinct wings). The peduncle is relatively long, thin, rigid at the base, and colored dark purple. The pedicels are short, green, with a weakly expressed torus. The berries are small, spherical, arranged very tightly in the cluster, and covered with a glaucous waxy bloom. The color of the berries when fully mature is matte black. The skin is thick, firm, and non-elastic. The flesh is dense, little juice is extracted, and the must has a light wine-red tint and a clean taste without specific flavors.

Features of Reproduction (Rooting of Cuttings)

Vitis berlandieri is distinguished by an extremely low capacity for reproduction by cuttings. When using standard open-field bench-rooting methods, the rooting percentage of matured shoots amounts to no more than 10–15%. This biological feature is directly related to the high density and hardness of the matured wood, which allies Vitis berlandieri with other southern American species (Mustang, Vitis monticola). For comparison, species with soft wood (Vitis riparia, Vitis labrusca) form a root system on cuttings without difficulty.

In the wild, the species reproduces mainly by seeds, as its vine is not prone to natural rooting of shoots upon contact with the soil. The high cost and risks associated with growing own-rooted vines for a long time deterred the use of pure Vitis berlandieri in nurseries, forcing breeders to switch to creating interspecific hybrids. However, researchers T. V. Munson and V. Mazade succeeded in isolating unique natural forms of the species capable of giving cutting rooting within the limits of 60–75%.

Known Forms of Vitis berlandieri

During the restoration of European vineyards after the Phylloxera crisis, scientists selected a number of promising purebred clones and forms of Vitis berlandieri that possessed the most valuable agrobiological properties:

  • Vitis berlandieri №2 Rességuier: A cultivated variety of the species for use as a rootstock on any type of soil. It was selected in the nurseries of E. Rességuier (Roussillon) and studied by P. Viala. It belongs to the group of glabrous berlandieri with an intense gloss on both sides of the leaves. The vines possess high vigor, forming a thick trunk and shoots up to 12–15 meters long. Cuttings of this form root somewhat easier than others (up to 15–20% when harvested from old mother vines). The leaves are large, rounded, leathery, and practically entire. The clusters are long, cylindrical, and the berries are matte black with a weak violet tint. The form manifests maximum resistance to lime-induced chlorosis but is sensitive to excessive soil moisture.
  • Vitis berlandieri №1 Rességuier: The form possesses high vigor and a massive trunk, similar to №2, but features thinner shoots. The leaves and vine are less shiny. The leaf blade is larger, has an elongated shape, and is slightly folded into a gutter along the central vein. It is less adapted to dry, rocky limestone soils and demonstrates better results on deep and rich soils.
  • Vitis berlandieri Mazade: A selection form isolated by V. Mazade. In terms of leaf gloss, it is close to form №2 but has rare floccose pubescence along the main veins on the lower side of the blade. It features high vigor and similar rootstock properties. It is distinguished by flat leaves in which the apex of the terminal lobe is bent downward. The blade has a distinct pentagonal shape due to the triangular definition of the terminal lobe; the teeth are arranged in two series. The petiolar sinus is widely open, U-shaped, and shallow.
  • Vitis berlandieri Lafont №9: The form was isolated by the researcher L. Ravaz in the Charente region. It is characterized by high vigor and, in terms of its complex of traits, is close to form №1. It is distinguished by very large, elongated leaves with deep and distinct teeth. The petiolar sinus is narrow and slightly open.