One of about 30 American species or wild vines with the complete botanical name Vitis aestivalis Michx. The name means "summer-fruiting vine", because it only blooms in summer - that is why it is also called summer vine. Synonyms or old names are Vitis lincecumii, Vitis rufotomentosa and Vitis smalliana. Trivial synonyms are Blue Grape, Pigeon Grape, Summer Grape, Vigne d'Été and Uva Trepadora. It was first described and catalogued by the French botanist André Michaux (1746-1802) in 1802, who for this reason is immortalized in the botanical name. Vitis lincecumii, which used to be listed as a separate species, is morphologically very similar, its berries and seeds are a little larger. The US researcher U.T. Waterfall suggested in his work "Keys to the Flora of Oklahoma" that a distinction between the two species should be removed. This was accepted, there are now the three varieties Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis, Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor Deam and Vitis aestivalis var. lincecumii.
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Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden