Bushy, short-jointed woody vine often covering shrubs or rocks, seldom climbing trees. Branches tomentose when young but becoming glabrous. Tendrils usually rare, short. Leaves usually thick and somewhat leathery, suborbicular to broadly triangular-ovate, 6-10 cm (2.4-4 in) long and as wide or wider, irregularly and coarsely toothed, sometimes shallowly lobed, cobweb-hairy above when young becoming glabrate, usually persistently cobweb-hairy below. Inflorescence a dense compound panicle 3-6 cm (1.2-2.4 in) long, flowering in late Spring. Fruits black, glaucous, 8-12 mm (0.3-0.5 in) in diameter, ripening mid- to late Summer.
Distribution: Native to western Kansas and eastern Colorado south to southwestern Texas.
Habitat: Streamsides and ravines.
NWI status: none
Comment: Vitis is the old Latin name for grape; acerifolia refers to the leaves, which often somewhat resemble those of maple.
Distribution in Oklahoma: 
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Last update: 9/22/99
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