color, firmness, juiciness, aroma and flavor
of the flesh, as well as its adherence to seed and skin, are valuable
marks in describing grapes. All species and varieties are well
distinguished by the time of ripening and by keeping quality. The
color of the juice is a plain and certain dividing line between some
species and many varieties.

_The seed._

_Beak_: The narrow prolonged base of the seed.
_Hilum_: The scar left where the seed was attached to the
seed-stalk.
_Chalaza_: The place where the seed-coats and kernel are
connected.
_Raphe_: The line or ridge which runs from the hilum to the
chalaza.

Seeds are accounted of much value in determining species. The size and
weight of seed differ greatly in different species, as they do also in
varieties of any one species. Thus, of native grapes, Labrusca has the
largest and heaviest seeds and Vulpina has the smallest seed, while
those of AEstivalis are of medium size and weight. The shape and color
of seed offer distinguishing marks, while the size, shape and position
of the raphe and chalaza furnish very certain marks of distinction in
some species.

THE GENUS VITIS

The genus Vitis belongs to the vine family (Vitaceae) in which most
botanists also put the wood-vines (Ampelopsis), of which Virginia
creeper is the best-known plant. The genus Cissus, to which belong
many southern climbers, is combined with Vitis by some botanists.
Vitis is separated from Ampelopsis and Cissus by marked differences in
several organs, of which, horticulturally at least, those in the
fruit best serve to distinguish the group. Species of Vitis, with
possibly one or two exceptions, bear pulpy edible fruits; species of
Ampelopsis and Cissus bear fruits with pulp so scant that the berries
are inedible. Vitis is further distinguished as follows: The plants
are climbing or trailing, rarely shrubby, with woody stems and mostly
with coiling, naked-tipped tendrils. The leaves are simple, palmately
lobed, round-dentate or heart-shaped-dentate. The stipules are small,
falling early. The flowers are polygamo-dioecious (some plants with
perfect flowers, others staminate with at most a rudimentary ovary),
five-parted. The petals are separated only at the base and fall off
without expanding. The disk is hypogynous with five nectariferous
glands which are alternate with the stamens. The berry is globose or
ovoid, few-seeded and pulpy. The