Canyon Grape
Vitis arizonica
Illustrated from a specimen found in Sabino Canyon, Sta. Catalina Mts., Pima County, Arizona, USA.
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VINE: The vines will be found rambling up into trees and shrubs in
sycamore woodlands. Forked tendrils help this climber up.
LEAVES: Broad, rounded leaves are shiny when young with distinct teeth along the margins.
RANGE: Deep shady canyons where sycamores grow are normally favorable to
Canyon Grape. Strictly riparian, but fairly common in that setting in canyons
mostly above 800 m elevation.
FRUIT: Small grapes turn blue-black when ripe but remain bitter to the human taste. Birds, however, are very fond of them. Birds subsequently disperse the seeds in their droppings.
FLOWERS: Cluster of small greenish-yellow flowers without petals.
UNARMED.
Vitaceae -- Grape Vine Family
More Information:
- Firefly Forest (Tucson)
- USDA Plant Profile
- ITIS Taxonomic Report
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search
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The grapes, together with the tough seeds inside, are avidly eaten by many kinds of birds. Later, the seeds will be passed in their feces and thereby be dispersed. The leaves are fed upon by a variety of insects including the grape leaf skeletonizer. Piercing-sucking insects such as leafhoppers take sap from growing stems. Follow the thumb links below for more information about each animal:
