One of about 30 American species or wild vines with the full botanical name Vitis labrusca L.. It was first described in 1753 by the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné (1707-1778) in his new nomenclature (the L. in the botanical name refers to him). However, he referred to the earlier description made in 1623 as "Vitis sylvestris virginiana" by the Swiss botanist Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624). Vitis labrusca is the longest-known American wild vine. As early as the 17th century, pioneers in the USA unsuccessfully attempted to produce drinkable wine from it. Together with the two species Vitis mustangensis and Vitis shuttleworthii, it forms the group Labruscae.
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