VITACEAE

Vitis mustangensis

Common Name:  Mustang Grape

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Vitis mustangensis typicalleaf.jpg (51658 bytes)

Vitis mustangensis tomentum.jpg (46276 bytes)
leaf, showing typical leaf shape--what kind of venation is present here?  Is this leaf simple or compound? the undersides of the leaves of mustang grape are covered by a dense mat of fine hairs (a tomentum), giving the surface a whitish color
Vitis mustangensis tendrilsandleaves.jpg (36547 bytes)
more leaves--these leaves are deeply lobed in this individual.   In Vitis mustangensis, the leaves can vary greatly in the amount of lobing, even within the same individual! leaves and tendrils--notice how the tendrils are opposite the leaves
Vitis mustangensis younginflorescence.jpg (40151 bytes) Vitis mustangensis fruits.jpg (39518 bytes)
flower buds in Spring--do you notice how the inflorescence is opposite a leaf?  Just as in tendrils, the flowers (and thus the fruits) are always opposite the leaves. developing fruit--these will ripen black or purple...

Vitis mustangensis habit4.jpg (180686 bytes)
...as you see here.  These grapes can be fairly bitter! habit--when mustang grape gets old, it can cover up whole shrubs (like this individual) or even trees!

Vitis mustangensis trunk.jpg (115271 bytes)

Vitis mustangensis largevine.jpg (120966 bytes)
mustang grape vines can grow very large, producing a thick woody trunk (woody vines are called lianas)... ...that may extend many feet up into the trees (in other words, the first leaves that you encounter on this vine may be 20 feet up!)--watch out, Tarzan!
close-up of the flowers inflorescence a compact, compound panicle opposite the leaf
an individual flower another inflorescence - here you can see the perianth parts curved back