List of Offered Names for Vitis Species
Taxonomy is a living argument. Botanists have been naming, renaming, splitting, and lumping grape species in the genus Vitis for centuries — and the result is a sprawling catalog of names that ranges from the still-accepted to the long-forgotten. Some entries here describe real, distinct species. Many others turned out to be duplicates, misidentifications, or names that simply never gained traction with the scientific community. Think of this list less as a field guide and more as a paper trail — the scientific equivalent of a guestbook where not everyone who signed it actually belonged at the party.
The beginner trap: Assuming every name on this list represents a currently accepted, distinct species — most are synonyms or rejected names, so always cross-check against a current taxonomic database like GRIN or ITIS before drawing conclusions.
Ingredients
This page is a reference list, not a winemaking recipe. No ingredients apply.
Method
This page is a reference list, not a winemaking recipe. No method steps apply.
Why this works
Botanical naming follows the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature. When two scientists independently describe and name the same plant, the earlier published name usually wins — the later one becomes a synonym. On top of that, some historical naturalists worked from incomplete or damaged specimens, leading to honest misidentifications that only later study corrected. The genus Vitis is especially prone to this problem because its species hybridize readily in the wild, producing plants that sit somewhere between two established species and confuse even experienced taxonomists. The list below captures that messy human history.
Notes
For a current working list of accepted Vitis species names, consult GRIN or ITIS. This list is a starting point, not a final word — it is neither complete nor exhaustive. Acknowledgment is due to Zulmiro Alves da Fonseca et al. of Brazil for initiating the original compilation at plantamed.com.br.
Vitis abyssinica Hochst. ex A. Rich., 1847 Vitis acapulcensis Kunth, 1825 Vitis acerifolia Raf., May 1830 Vitis acida (L.) Morales, 1866 Vitis acida (L.) Chapm., 1860 Vitis aconitifolia (Bunge) Hance, 1873 Vitis acuminata Oerst., 1856 Vitis adenocaulis (Steud. ex A. Rich.) Baker, 1868 Vitis adenocaulis var. articulata Kuntze, 1898 Vitis adenoclada Hand.-Mazz., 1925 Vitis adnata (Roxb.) Wall., 1834 Vitis adnata var. angustata Miq. Vitis adstricta Hance, 1882 Vitis adstricta var. ternata W.T. Wang, 1979 Vitis aestivali-cordifolia Planch., 1887 Vitis aestivalis Michx., 1803 Vitis aestivalis subsp. aestivalis Vitis aestivalis var. aestivalis Vitis aestivalis var. argentifolia (Munson ex L.H. Bailey) Fernald, 1936 Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor (J. Le Conte) A. Gray, 1890 Vitis aestivalis var. bicolor Deam, 1924 Vitis aestivalis var. bourquiniana (Munson) Bailey, 1897 Vitis aestivalis var. canescens Engelm., 1869 Vitis aestivalis var. cinerea Engelm., 1867 Vitis aestivalis subsp. divergens W.M. Rogers, 1979 Vitis aestivalis var. glauca (Munson) Bailey, 1897 Vitis aestivalis var. lincecumii (Buckley) Munson, 1886 Vitis aestivalis subsp. linsecomii (Buckley) D.J. Rogers Vitis aestivalis var. monticola (Buckley) Engelm., 1869 Vitis aestivalis var. sinuata Pursh, 1814 Vitis aestivalis subsp. smalliana (Bailey) W.M. Rogers, 1979 Vitis aestivalis var. smalliana (Bailey) Comeaux, 1987 Vitis aestivalis subsp. sola (Bailey) W.M. Rogers, 1979 Vitis aestivalis x cinerea Vitis aestivalis x vulpina Vitis affinis Gagnep. ex Osmaston, 1927 Vitis afzelii Baker, 1868 Vitis alata (Jacq.) Kuntze, 1898 Vitis albida (Cambess.) Baker, 1871 Vitis albonitens (Linden & Andró) G. Nicholson, 1887 Vitis alcicornis Haines, 1921 Vitis alemannica Andrés., 1924 Vitis amara Raf., May 1830 Vitis amazonica (Linden) G. Nicholson, 1887 Vitis americana Bartram, 1804 Vitis amplexa Baker, 1868 Vitis amurensis Rupr., 1857 Vitis amurensis var. amurensis Vitis amurensis var. coignetiae (Pulliat ex Planch.) Nakai Vitis amurensis var. dissecta Skvorts., 1931 Vitis amurensis var. funiushanensis F.S. Wang, 2000 Vitis amurensis var. genuina Skvorts., 1931 Vitis amurensis fo. hermaphrodita J. Yi Li, 1986 Vitis amurensis var. shiragae (Makino) Ohwi Vitis amurensis var. yanshanensis D.Z. Lu & Liang, 1993 Vitis andamanica King, 1896 Vitis andersonii Rehder, 1922 Vitis andongensis Welwitsch ex Baker, 1868 Vitis angolensis Baker, 1868 Vitis angulata Raf., May 1830 Vitis angustifolia Hemsl. Vitis angustifolia Hayata Vitis angustissima F. Muell. Vitis antiquorum Andrés., 1924 Vitis apiana Raf., May 1830 Vitis apiana var. alba Raf., May 1830 Vitis apiana var. parvifolia Raf., May 1830 Vitis apiana var. rosea Raf., May 1830 Vitis apliniana Collett & Hemsl. Vitis apodophylla Baker, 1894 Vitis apyrena L., 1753 Vitis arachnoidea Oerst., 1856 Vitis arachnoidea (Hassk.) Backer, 1908 Vitis arachnoidea Raf., 1817 Vitis aralioides Welw. ex Baker, 1868 Vitis araneosa J. Le Conte, 1853 Vitis arborea L., 1753 Vitis arcuata Welwitsch ex Baker, 1868 Vitis argentifolia Munson ex L.H. Bailey, 1934 Vitis arguta (Hook. f.) Baker, 1868 Vitis arisanensis (Hayata) Hayata, 1915 Vitis arizonica Engelm., 1868 Vitis arizonica var. arizonica Vitis arizonica var. galvanii Munson, 1895 Vitis arizonica var. glabra Munson, 1890 Vitis armata Diels & Gilg, 1900 Vitis armata var. cyanocarpa Gagnep., 1911 Vitis asarifolia Baker, 1868 Vitis asperifolia Baker, 1871 Vitis assamica G. Lawson, 1875 Vitis aubertiana Gage, 1904 Vitis auriculata (Roxb.) Wall., 1831 Vitis austrina Small, 1903 Vitis austrokoreana Hatus., 1940 Vitis baihensis P. He, 1995 Vitis baihuashanensis Kang & D.Z. Lu, 1993 Vitis baileyana Munson, 1893 Vitis bainesii Hook. f., 1864 Vitis bakeri Herter, 1936 Vitis balanseana Planch., 1887 Vitis balanseana var. balanseana Vitis balanseana var. ficifolioides (W.T. Wang) C.L. Li, 1996 Vitis balanseana var. tomentosa C.L. Li, 1996 Vitis barbata Wall., 1824 Vitis barbata var. trilobata King, 1896 Vitis barteri Baker, 1868 Vitis bashanica He P C, 1995 Vitis bellidifolia Frag. & Cif., 1927 Vitis bellula (Rehder) W.T. Wang, 1979 Vitis bellula var. bellula Vitis bellula var. pubigera C.L. Li, 1996 Vitis berlandieri Planch., 1880 Vitis betulifolia Diels & Gilg, 1900 Vitis bicolor J. Le Conte, 1853 Vitis bicolor Raf., 1820 Vitis bifida Raf., May 1830 Vitis biformis Rose, 1905 Vitis bioritsensis Hayata, 1915 Vitis bipinnata Torr. & A. Gray, 1838 Vitis biternata Baker, 1882 Vitis blancoi (Munson 1890) Comeaux 2000 Vitis blanda Raf., May 1830 Vitis blanda var. arenaria Raf., May 1830 Vitis blanda var. caroliniana Raf., May 1830 Vitis blanda var. flava Raf., May 1830 Vitis blanda var. heteroloba Raf., May 1830 Vitis blanda var. viridis Raf., May 1830 Vitis bloodwothiana Comeaux, 1991 Vitis bodinieri H. Lév. & Vaniot, 1915 Vitis boivinii (Planch.) Palacky, 1907 Vitis bombycina Baker, 1868 Vitis bororensis (Klotzsch) Baker, 1868 Vitis bosturgaiensis Vasilchenko, 1983 Vitis boulderensis Daniels, 1911 Vitis bourgaeana Planch., 1887 Vitis bourquiniana Munson, 1890 Vitis bracteata Raf., May 1830 Vitis bracteata J. Le Conte, 1853 Vitis bracteolata Wall., 1824 Vitis brevipedunculata (Maxim.) Dippel, 1892 Vitis bryoniifolia Bunge, 1831 Vitis bryoniifolia var. bryoniifolia Vitis bryoniifolia var. mairei (H. Lév.) W.T. Wang, 1988 Vitis bryoniifolia var. multilobata S.Y. Wang & Y.H. Hu, 1988 Vitis bryoniifolia var. ternata (W.T. Wang) C.L. Li, 1996 Vitis burchellii Baker, 1871 Vitis burmanica Collett & Hemsl. Vitis byzantina Andrés., 1924 Vitis caerulea Munson ex, 1889 Vitis caesia (Afzel.) Sabine, 1824 Vitis californica Benth., 1844 Vitis callosa Raf., May 1830 Vitis campestris Baker, 1871 Vitis campylocarpa Kurz, 1872 Vitis cana Raf., May 1830 Vitis canarensis Dalziel, 1831 Vitis candicans Engelm. ex A. Gray, 1850 Vitis candicans var. candicans Vitis candicans var. coriacea (Shuttlew. ex Planch.) Bailey ex Gray, 1897 Vitis candicans var. diversa Bailey, 1934 Vitis canina Raf., May 1830 Vitis cantoniensis Seem., 1875 Vitis capensis Thunb., 1794 Vitis capensis Burm. f., 1768 Vitis capreolata D. Don, 1825 Vitis cardiospermoides Franch., 1890 Vitis caribaea DC., 1824 Vitis carnosa (Lam.) Wall., 1832 Vitis carnosa Wall. ex Laws., 1875 Vitis cavalerie H. Lév., 1905 Vitis cavicaulis Baker, 1868 Vitis chaffonjonii H. Lév., 1905 Vitis chantinii Carrière, 1881 Vitis chloroleuca Welwitsch ex Baker, 1868 Vitis choii Hatus., 1940 Vitis chontalensis Seem., 1869 Vitis chrysobotrys H. Lév. & Vaniot, 1907 Vitis chunganensis Hu, 1925 Vitis chungii F.P. Metcalf, 1932 Vitis ciliata Raf., May 1830 Vitis cinerea (Engelm.) Engelm. ex Millardet, 1880 Vitis cinerea var. baileyana (Munson) Comeaux, 1987 Vitis cinerea var. berlandieri (Planch.)
