This is probably the most common wild grape in Illinois, and the species most likely to be found in prairie remnants. Distinguishing different species of wild grape can be difficult. Riverbank Grape has the following characteristics that together set it apart from the others: 1) The underside of the leaves are nearly hairless, not pubescent; 2) the stems are hairless; 3) at the nodes of the leaves, there is a partition in the pith of the stem that is about 1/12" across; 4) there are no tendrils nor fruits opposite from every third leaf; 5) the newly emerging leaves and growing ends of the stems are reddish and nearly glabrous, rather than whitish and softly pubescent; 6) the fruit usually has a sour taste, even when mature; 7) the leaves are more coarsely serrated than many other species; and 8) the plants are more often found in dry, sunny places. The first five characteristics above are the most important for establishing identification of species.