Narrative
Type = American hybrid. Per Munson (see citation): "North California grape. Plant: Climbing moderately, or vigorously, as seen by the writer in Santa Rosa and Napa Valleys at Chico and at Redding in Sacramento Valley, also at Grant's Pass, Rogue River, Oregon; branches tapering; growing tips little enveloped in expanding leaves; often the vines are seen completely enveloping small trees with a dense canopy of leaves. Roots: Fibrous, rather soft, transversely wrinkled. Wood: When young reddish or pale green, angled and somewhat covered with long whitish hairs, becoming floccose and remaining into the winter, or in Eldorado County specimens, covered with short brown pubescence, similar to V. cinerea; when mature, brownish or grayish, finely striated, soft, sectional view circular or often oval, rays distinct, pores open; nodes large and little bent; diaphragm nearly plane, medium thin; bark the second year easily loosening in fibrous plates, on old woody finely striately checked and persistent as in V. cinerea; buds small, sub-pyramidal, ovoid or acute, covered with whitish or brownish wool at the summit, when opening in spring grayish-violet or nearly white, becoming greenish-violet; tendrils mostly once forked, sometimes twice, 3' to 5' to fork, intermittent, wooly when young, persistent, internodes medium in length, 3' to 6' or more, variable in same branch; pith large, light brown, abruptly and broadly terminating above, narrow and gradually terminating below the diaphragm, especially so in Sierra Nevada Mountain specimens. Leaves: Stipules small to medium, cordate, membranaceous, hairy; petiole generally about half as long as blade is wide, narrowly grooved on upper side, disctinctly striated; thinly covered with white cottony hairs and velvety pubescence, color violet or crimson; blade medium to large, varies in size from 2' to 4' in length by 3' to 5' or more in width; [ ... ] Cluster: Fertile, --small 3' to 4' or more long; shouldered heavily, similar to many V. vulpina; compact; peduncle very short; rachis usually simple or little compounded, thinly cottony; clear reddish-violet; pedicels 1/4' or less long, rather thick, enlarging rapidly toward the recepticle, warty. Berries: 1/3' to 1/2' in diameter, round or little oblate, black, with heavy prunose bloom; persistant; skin rather thick, pulp seedy with little juice, very sugary and pleasantly flavored."