A morphological study of leaf development in Vitis-riparia michx. and grape cultivars Concord and Vivant

The establishment of basic leaf shape in three representative members of the genus Vitis (Vitis riparia Michx., cultivars Vivant and Concord) was studied using scanning electron microscopy. At maturity, the leaves of the above taxa have specific and recognizable features which makes it possible to distinguish them from one another. Looking at leaf development from the earliest stages of initiation, it was possible to determine a common basic sequence of developmental events. Differences between these taxa at maturity can also be seen at the primordial level. In V. riparia, elongated lobe tips are visible early in development and in cultivar Vivant they are not as prominent. In cultivar Concord, the leaf primordia are more stunted in appearance and the sinuses are not as prominent as the other two taxa. It is therefore possible to distinguish the above taxa at the primordial level, that is, in earliest stages of development.