One of around 30 American species or wild vines with the full botanical name Vitis rotundifolia Michx. The name honours the French botanist André Michaux (1746-1802). It is the only species of the Muscadinia vine subgenus. It therefore does not belong to the Vitis subgenus like the other American and Asian species and the European varieties of the Vitis vinifera species. Strictly speaking, it should therefore be called Muscadinia rotundifolia. In most scientific sources, however, the name Vitis ritundifolia is used. Trivial synonyms are Bird Grape, Bullace Grape, Bullit Grape, Currant Grape, Muscadine Grape, Roanoke, Southern Fox Grape and Vigne Musquée.
Muscadinia varieties
The Muscadinia species is divided into three varieties. Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. munsoniana is restricted to Florida. Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. rotundifolia colonises the south-eastern quarter of the USA from Indiana to Texas. It thrives best where cotton grows, in bushes, along rivers, in swamps, but also on sandy valley floors. And the Vitis rotundifolia Michx. var. popenoei with the trivial synonym Totoloche Grape thrives above all in areas with subtropical and tropical climates.
It is found in central Mexico and some Central American countries such as Belize and Guatemala. The Popenoei variety was previously regarded as a separate species. There are considerations to elevate the subgenus Muscadinia to a genus and to replace the current division into three varieties with three species.
Chromosome set
As all Muscadinia varieties have a different set of chromosomes (2 x 20 = 40) than the species of the subgenus Vitis (2 x 19 = 38), crossing with all European vines, but also with the American species or varieties of the subgenus Vitis, is very difficult. However, the French grapevine breeder Prof. Dr Alain Bouquet has succeeded in doing this at the Montpellier research centre, which has made it possible to breed resistant grapevine varieties (see below).
The nodes (nodes) are without a diaphragm (septum), the tendrils are unbranched and the berries are shed individually when ripe. The thick-skinned, dark berries have a high content of polyphenols (anthocyanins and resveratrol). The berries and the wine made from them have a strawberry flavour and the foxy. Muscadinia grapes were already being used in the 16th century to produce wines similar to port.
Resilience
The enormous resistance to diseases and pests was recognised by Dr Harold P. Olmo (1909-2006). This applies in particular to fungal diseases and insects of all kinds. The vine is completely resistant to phylloxera and thus to infection by vine diseases such as nodosities and tuberosities, as well as to nematodes (threadworms) and the vine disease flavescence dorée. Unfortunately, grafting is impossible as Vinifera cuttings are rejected by Rotundifolia rootstocks and do not grow together with them.
One disadvantage is its poor lime tolerance and lack of frost hardiness. Today, the vine is increasingly interesting as a crossing partner. Resistance to Pierce's disease is particularly important in the climatically warm south of the USA. For this reason, over 300 Muscadinia varieties of different berry colours are cultivated in these states.
New varieties
New varieties with Vitis rotundifolia genes include the Aurora (2), Carlos, Cowart, Dixieland, Doreen, Fry, Higgins, Hunt, Jumbo, Magnolia, Noble, Regalé and Scuppernong grape varieties.
further information
See also the keywords DNA, chromosome, Asian vines, American vines, vine systematics and taxonomy as well as a list of relevant keywords under vine area and grapevine.
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