| Title | Ascopo |
| Caption | Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel |
| Source | USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| URL | http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PEBO&photoID=pebo_2v.jpg |
| Type | Photograph |
| Copyright | USDA |
| Origin | Internet |
| Notes | The Muscadine (Vitus rotundofolia) is historically a native southern grape. It has been indigenous to the South for hundreds of years. The name Scuppernong originally comes from an Algonquin Indian name, Ascopo for the sweet bay tree. The term Ascupernung, meaning place of the Ascopo, appears on some early maps of North Carolina as the name of a river in Washington County. During the 17th and 18th centuries cuttings from early vines were placed into production around the town of Scuppernong, North Carolina. It was during the early 1800's the spelling of the river had changed to Scuppernong. It was not long before the name of the town and the river came to be applied to the grapes which were grown in the area. Today, the term Scuppernong is used by most people to refer to most all of the bronze varieties when it is actually only one of many different varieties of bronze muscadine.; http://www.milnefarm.com/Muscadines.html; (Ascopo) was mentioned as early as 1588 by Thomas Harot; “Ascopo a kind of tree ; very like unto Lowrell, the bark hoat and spicie.”; http://www.charlestonwine.com/index.cfm?section=1&page=2&Obj=23; [NB VJB – The definition on the handout reads ‘similar to laurel’. The flower of the Sweet Bay Tree (Magnolia virginiana) is fragrant and the leaf resembles noble laurel. However I am not sure I agree that the Indians were using this term for Sweet Bay. The Red Bay (leaf) has a fragrance more like that of the spicy leaf of Noble Laurel. The translation of the Indian term as sweet bay should be confirmed. What was the context? “Ascopo” might equally refer to a tree or to a geographic place.]; Surely Hariot was referring to Red Bay [Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel]; Radford, et al. (1968) ‘Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas’, Chapel Hill.; Red Bay usually grows in wetter locations than Sweet Bay. Scuppernong grapes are often abundant climbing in trees along a river bank because the open space above the river affords the grape greater exposure to sunlight. The description of ‘where the ‘ascopo’ grows is consistent with the habitat of scuppernong (muscadine) grape, Vitis rotundifolia Michaux. ; |
The Muscadine (Vitus rotundofolia) is historically a native southern grape. It has been indigenous to the South for hundreds of years. The name Scuppernong originally comes from an Algonquin Indian name, Ascopo for the sweet bay tree. The term Ascupernung, meaning place of the Ascopo, appears on some early maps of North Carolina as the name of a river in Washington County. During the 17th and 18th centuries cuttings from early vines were placed into production around the town of Scuppernong, North Carolina. It was during the early 1800's the spelling of the river had changed to Scuppernong. It was not long before the name of the town and the river came to be applied to the grapes which were grown in the area. Today, the term Scuppernong is used by most people to refer to most all of the bronze varieties when it is actually only one of many different varieties of bronze muscadine. http://www.milnefarm.com/Muscadines.html - Dr. Vince Bellis
(Ascopo) was mentioned as early as 1588 by Thomas Harot; “Ascopo a kind of tree very like unto Lowell, the bark hoat and spicie.” http://www.charlestonwine.com/index.cfm?section=1&page=2&Obj=23 - Dr. Vince Bellis
[NB VJB – The definition on the handout reads ‘similar to laurel’. The flower of the Sweet Bay Tree (Magnolia virginiana) is fragrant and the leaf resembles noble laurel. However I am not sure a agree that the Indians were using this term for Sweet Bay. The Red Bay (leaf) has a fragrance more like that of the spicy leaf of Noble Laurel. The translation of the Indian term as sweet bay should be confirmed. What was the context? “Ascopo” might equally refer to a tree or to a geographic place.] Surely Hariot was referring to Red Bay [Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel] Radford, et al. (1968) ‘Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas’, Chapel Hill. - Dr. Vince Bellis
Red Bay usually grows in wetter locations than Sweet Bay. Scuppernong grapes are often abundant climbing in trees along a river bank because the open space above the river affords the grape greater exposure to sunlight. The description of ‘where the ‘ascopo’ grows is consistent with the habitat of scuppernong (muscadine) grape, Vitis rotundifolia Michaux. - Dr. Vince Bellis
Lawson - Refers to several ‘bays’ and ‘laurels’, but his descriptions are vague and it is often difficult to know which ‘bay’ he is referring to. - Dr. Vince Bellis