Vines

• Title

  Vines

• Authors

  Nathaniel Lord Britton

• Description

  VINES Plants with elongated, slender stems, not becoming erect, are classified as vines. Some are herbaceous, weak, containing little woody tissue, others are definitely woody and stiff. Some grow prostrate along the ground and are termed trailing. Others rise in various ways, supported by trees, shrubs, or other objects; those that wind around their supports are termed twining and this, in different kinds, is either dextrorse or sinistrorse; those that have specialized, more or less coiled appendages (tendrils) are termed climbing; those that merely lean upon other vegetation are termed clambering, and a few of these are sometimes regarded as weak shrubs. Some normally twining or climbing, vines may grow prostrate, or trailing, if they meet with no supporting objects. Many kinds of vines are grown for ornament, on arbors, walls and fences. We have grouped the kinds of vines illustrated in this work as follows: a. Coastal species. These inhabit sands of the sea-coasts, or salt-water marshes. b. Native species of dry districts. Low rainfall governs the distribution of these, mostly restricted to the southern and southwestern parts of the island, at low elevations. c. Native species mostly of wet or moist districts. Some of these are restricted to the mountain forests, in very high rainfall, but most of them require less. d. Native species of more general distribution. Vines of this category are able to exist under a wide range of rainfall. e. Naturalized, or introduced species. Some of these have become very abundant, and would be classified as native, if it was not known that they originated elsewhere; some are rare, and only casual in distribution.