Vitis aestivalis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffae26cdfe650661030 |
| Scientific name | Vitis aestivalis |
| Authority | Michx. |
| First published in | Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 230 (1803) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Ethnobotanical Uses
In the United States, several Indigenous groups recorded ethnobotanical uses of Vitis aestivalis that involved infusions or decoctions. Among the Cherokee of the southeastern U.S., ethnobotanical records note the use of infusions from leaves to treat fevers and as an eyewash; bark decoctions were employed for diarrhea (Moerman, Native American Ethnobotany Database). Field studies in the Ozarks reported that Appalachian communities in Arkansas boiled leaves for a fever-reducing tea (Foster and Hobbs, 2002, American Medicinal Plants). Across the Appalachian region, herbalists have long prepared a mild leaf tea to help reduce fevers and soothe bronchial irritation (Kincl et al., 2005, HerbalGram).
One traditional, practical recipe has persisted in Appalachia: a mild leaf tea for fever and bronchial relief. Roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of dried leaves (about 3–4 g) is added to 1 cup of water brought to a boil, simmered for 2–3 minutes, then removed from heat and covered to steep for 5–10 minutes before straining. People typically drink 1/2–1 cup up to three times daily while symptomatic. Though generally mild, avoid during pregnancy and discontinue if stomach upset occurs (Foster and Hobbs, 2002). These uses align with well-established phytochemistry: leaves and stems of Vitis aestivalis contain flavonoids (myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol) and resveratrol, which have documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; anthocyanins in the berries contribute to the plant’s phenolic profile (Kincl et al., 2005; Esposito et al., 2018).
Research on Vitis species continues to support the medicinal themes captured in traditional practice, including studies on flavonoid and resveratrol content in grapes and tissues related to anti-inflammatory effects (e.g., Esposito et al., 2018). While modern commercial attention focuses on Vitis vinifera, Vitis aestivalis remains of interest to ethnobotanists and is used in small-batch herbal teas and extracts in the Appalachian herbal community.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Fruit: The berries of Vitis aestivalis are used to produce red wine, notably in the American cultivar Norton (also called Cynthiana), which is derived largely from this species and has been marketed in the Midwestern and Eastern United States since the 19th century. The berries are also harvested locally for fresh consumption or for jam and jelly production.
- Genetic material: V. aestivalis serves as a donor of disease‑resistance traits (e.g., resistance to downy and powdery mildew and phylloxera) in viticultural breeding programs, providing germplasm for the development of new rootstocks and cultivars.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- Wine: Wines made from V. aestivalis‑derived cultivars are characterized by high acidity (≈8–10 g L⁻¹ tartaric) and moderate sugar levels (≈20–22 °Brix), producing a dry, full‑bodied style that is legally recognized as a distinct American wine variety under United States labeling regulations.
Wood and fiber:
- Vines: The flexible stems of V. aestivalis have historically been used in the eastern United States for basketry and cordage. The vines are harvested, split, and woven to form baskets, fish traps, and other utilitarian objects; this use is documented in ethnobotanical surveys of North‑American Indigenous peoples.
Scientific and model‑organism uses:
- Genomic resources: Whole‑genome sequencing of V. aestivalis (e.g., the 2020 genome assembly in NCBI/Phytozome) provides a reference for comparative genomics, marker‑assisted selection, and functional studies of disease‑resistance genes. EST libraries and transcriptomic data are deposited in public databases for community research.
Properties relevant to use:
- Fruit chemistry: The relatively high acidity, moderate sugar concentration, and elevated anthocyanin and flavonol content of the berries support stable wine color and mouthfeel.
- Resistance traits: V. aestivalis possesses powdery‑mildew‑resistant loci (e.g., Run1, Rpv3) and phylloxera tolerance, which are leveraged in breeding to reduce pesticide inputs.
Standards and regulation:
- United States Code of Federal Regulations (27 CFR 4) requires that wines labeled as “Norton” or derived from V. aestivalis accurately declare the variety and meet compositional standards for acidity, residual sugar, and alcohol content. International standards such as ISO 7218 (wine chemical analysis) and ISO 13067 (wine sensory evaluation) provide analytical guidelines for quality control.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- As a native North‑American species, V. aestivalis contributes to locally adapted, disease‑resistant grape varieties, allowing reduced chemical sprays and supporting regional viticulture. Conservation of wild populations preserves a genetic reservoir for future breeding efforts.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Vitis labruscoides | Muhl. & Raf. | Cat. Pl. Amer. Sept. : 26 (1813) |
| Vitis fulva | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 124 (1830) |
| Vitis glareosa | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 126 (1830) |
| Vitis bifida | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 128 (1830) |
| Vitis bicolor | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 140 (1830) |
| Vitis intermedia | Muhl. | Cat. Pl. Amer. Sept. : 26 (1813) |
| Vitis ursina | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 124 (1830) |
| Vitis saxatilis | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 124 (1830) |
| Vitis serotina | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 126 (1830) |
| Vitis lecontiana | House | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 7: 128 (1921) |
| Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia | Fernald | Rhodora 38: 428 (1936) |
| Vitis linsecomii | Buckley | Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1861: 451 (1862) |
| Vitis rufotomentosa | Small | Fl. S.E. U.S. : 756 (1903) |
| Vitis labrusca var. aestivalis | (Michx.) Regel | 2: 396. 1873 |
| Vitis aestivalis var. sinuata | Pursh | Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 169 (1813) |
| Vitis sinuata | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 1: 711 (1831) |
| Vitis smalliana | L.H.Bailey | Gentes Herbarum 3: 207 (1934) |
| Vitis aestivalis subsp. smalliana | (L.H.Bailey) W.M.Rogers | Proc. Florida State Hort. Soc. 92: 289 1979 |
| Vitis aestivalis var. smalliana | (L.H.Bailey) Comeaux | Sida 12: 286 (1987) |
| Vitis argentifolia | Munson ex House | Bull. New York State Mus. Nat. Hist. 254: 486 (1924) |
| Vitis multiloba | Raf. | Med. Fl. 2: 125 (1830) |
| Vitis vinifera var. multiloba | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 133 (1891) |
| Vitis americana | W.Bartram | Med. Repos. , ser. 2, 1: 21, 23 (1804) |
| Vitis labrusca f. aestivalis | Regel | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 2: 396 (1873) |
| Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor | Deam | Shrubs Indiana : 207 (1924) |
| Vitis aestivalis var. glauca | L.H.Bailey | Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(1): 427 (1897) |
| Vitis linsecomii var. glauca | Munson | Found. Amer. Grape Cult. 39 (-40, t. 12). 1909 |
| Vitis linsecomii var. lactea | Small | Fl. S.E. U.S. : 755 (1903) |
| Vitis aestivalis var. linsecomii | (Buckley) Munson ex L.H.Bailey | Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(1): 428 (1897) |
| Vitis labruscoides | Muhl. | Cat. Pl. Amer. Sept. : 26 (1813) |
| Vitis aestivalis var. bourquiniana | L.H.Bailey | Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(1): 428 (1897) |
| Vitis vinifera var. aestivalis | (Michx.) Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 132 (1891) |
| Vitis vinifera var. americana | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 132 (1891) |
| Vitis bourquiniana | (L.H.Bailey) Munson ex G.Nicholson | Hand-List Trees Shrubs , ed. 2: 113 (1902) |
| Vitis diversifolia | W.R.Prince | Treatise Vine : 183 (1830) |
| Vitis bicolor | Leconte | Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 6: 272 (1852-1853 publ. 1854) |
| Vitis virginiana | Poir. | Encycl. 8: 808 (1808) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | summer grape |
| Arabic | كرمة صيفية |
| Chinese | 夏葡萄 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Vitis aestivalis subsp. sola | (L.H.Bailey) D.J.Rogers | 92: 289. 1979 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Europe click to expand
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Middle Europe
- Hungary
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Middle Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Ontario
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000421544 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:266053-2 |
| IPNI | 266053-2 |
| GBIF | 5659030 |
| UNII | EDY2SY5N5E |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 2025 |
| Canadensys | 9541 |
| USDA Plants | VIAE |
| Tropicos | 34000010 |
| INPN | 129921 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:309286-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2456568 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 287538 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 329911 |
| Observations.org | 123571 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 3605 |
| Nature Serve | 2.131387 |
| IPNI | 309286-2 |
| iNaturalist | 128931 |
| GBIF | 5372400 |
| Freebase | /m/06z9pj |
| WisFlora | 5421 |
| FEIS | plants/vine/vitaes |
| EPPO | VITAE |
| EOL | 582343 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 8759 |
| USDA GRIN | 311851 |
| Wikipedia | Vitis_aestivalis |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_001562795.1 | VitisNorton_MSU1.0 | Contig | Missouri State University | 2016-02-17 | 28 | 412.71 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| 6-[4-(Acetyloxymethyl)-15-hydroxy-4,10,13,14-tetramethyl-3,7,11-trioxo-1,2,5,6,12,15,16,17-octahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl]-2-methyl-4-oxoheptanoic acid | 163064738 | Click to see | 572.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Phenolic glycosides | |||||
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[4-(3,3-dimethoxyprop-1-enyl)-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 162960484 | Click to see | 416.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Anthocyanins / Anthocyanidin-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| Cyanidin 3-b-L-arabinoside | 131752259 | Click to see | 419.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Cyanidin 3-O-(6-O-malonyl-beta-D-glucoside) | 443915 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=[O+]C3=CC(=CC(=C3C=C2OC4C(C(C(C(O4)COC(=O)CC(=O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 535.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Cyanidin 3-O-galactoside | 441699 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=[O+]C3=CC(=CC(=C3C=C2OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 449.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Malvidin 3-(6-acetylglucoside) | 74977116 | Click to see CC(=O)OCC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=CC3=C(C=C(C=C3[O+]=C2C4=CC(=C(C(=C4)OC)O)OC)O)O)O)O)O | 535.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Malvidin 3-Glucoside | 443652 | Click to see | 493.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Peonidin-3-glucoside | 443654 | Click to see | 463.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid C-glycosides | |||||
| Isovitexin | 162350 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid C-glycosides / Flavonoid 8-C-glycosides | |||||
| Orientin | 5281675 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)C4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| (2R,3R,4R,5R)-2-[2-(3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxychromenylium-3-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol | 163194737 | Click to see | 449.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Astragalin | 5282102 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| Isoquercetin | 5280804 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| Quercetin 3-O-acetyl-rhamnoside | 6324952 | Click to see | 490.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Quercetin 3-O-glucosyl-xyloside | 157009734 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)COC5C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 596.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 |
| Rutin | 5280805 | Click to see | 610.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1002/JSFA.1885 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| Luteolin 7-O-glucoside | 5280637 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(87)90085-8 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |