Trees and Shrubs

Pyrus communis ‘Marie Louise’

‘Fruit long ovate, something like a Saint Germain, but more angular in its outline, about three inches and a quarter long, and two inches and a half in diameter. Eye open, placed in an oblique, somewhat knobby hollow. Stalk one inch and a half long, obliquely inserted in a small uneven cavity. Skin greenish, but when fully matured of a rich yellow, clouded with light brown russet on the sunny side. Flesh inclining to yellow, perfectly melting, with abundance of saccharine, highly vinous juice. Ripe the beginning and middle of October.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.378/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Moorfowl Egg’

‘Fruit rather small, of a globular-ovate figure, abruptly tapering from the middle, both to the crown and the stalk, about two inches and three quarters deep, and the same in diameter. Eye small, open, with a short, slender, strigose calyx, placed in a rather narrow and shallow basin. Stalk one inch and a half long, slightly inserted by the side of a small elongated lip. Skin pale yellow, mixed with green, and tinged on the sunny side with a lively orange-brown, interspersed with numerous minute russetty spots. Flesh yellowish white, a little gritty, but tender and mellow. Juice sugary, with a slight perfume. Ripe the end of September, and will keep two or three weeks.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.361/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Morel’

Probably the pear ‘Morel’. ‘Fruit about medium sized, obovate. Skin yellow, thickly freckled with large russet spots. Eye half open, not depressed. Stalk an inch and a quarter long, stout. Flesh yellowish-white, crisp, juicy, and sweet, with an agreeable flavour. This in colour and flavour is like Hessle, but ripens in April, and is a good variety for that late season.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.201/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Napoléon’

‘Fruit large, the form of a Colmar, angular about the eye, a good deal contracted in the middle, about three inches and three quarters long, and three inches in diameter. Eye small, with a connivent calyx, a little depressed. Stalk half an inch long, thick, straight; in some specimens diagonally inserted under a large, elongated, curved lip. Skin smooth, bright green, in which state it remains for some time after the fruit is gathered; it finally changes to a pale green, when the flesh becomes very melting, with a most unusual abundance of rich agreeable juice. Ripe the middle of November, and remains in perfection several days.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.380/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Ne Plus Meuris’

‘Fruit medium sized, roundish-turbinate, very uneven, and bossed on its surface. Skin rough, dull yellow, very much covered with dark brown russet. Eye half open, generally prominent. Stalk very short, not at all depressed, frequently appearing as a mere knob on the apex of the fruit. Flesh yellowish-white, buttery and melting, with a rich, sugary, and vinous flavour. A first-rate pear. Ripe from January till March.’

Pyrus communis ‘Nouvelle Fulvie’

‘Fruit large or very large, pyramidal-pyriform, strongly bossed, lemon-yellow when ripe, colored with vivid red on the side exposed to the sun, marked and dotted with russet; flesh yellowish-white, very fine, melting, buttery; juice very abundant, sugary, having an exquisite perfume; good; Nov. to Feb.’ [Pears of New York p.483 as ‘Nouvelle Fulvie’].

Pyrus communis ‘Orange Bergamot’

‘Fruit, small; roundish turbinate. Skin, smooth, pale green, becoming yellowish green at maturity, with dull red next the sun, strewed with whitish grey dots. Eye, open, and set in a deep basin. Stalk, half an inch long, stout, inserted in a small cavity. Flesh, white, half-melting, juicy, with a sweet and musky flavour. A dessert pear; ripe in August.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.625/1884].

Pyrus communis ‘Passe Colmar’

‘Fruit middle-sized, obconical, flattened at the crown, about three inches and a half long, and three inches in diameter. Eye open, slightly sunk. Stalk one inch and a half long, strong, inserted in an oblique obtusely-angled cavity. Skin green, when ripe becoming yellowish, and sprinkled with russet, and if well exposed having a considerable tinge of red; the surface is somewhat uneven, with some slight longitudinal furrows running from the stalk end. Flesh yellowish, melting, juicy, very rich, and most excellent. In perfection in December and January.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.404/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Poir de Beurré’

Probably identical to the pears listed as ‘Golden Beurré’ and ‘Brown Beurré’, which see.

However, the Gardener’s Chronicle does describe a French pear called ‘Poir de Beurré’: Fruit; above middle size, roundish-oval in shape. Skin; brownish olive, sprinkled with russet. Flesh; whitish, very melting, juicy and sugary, with a perfumed, delicious flavour. The tree is a good bearer, suitable for the open ground. Its season is typically September and October. [Gard. Chron. 1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Prince Albert’

‘Fruit medium sized, pyriform. Skin smooth, of a deep lemon-yellow colour, and frequently with a blush of red next the sun. Eye small and open, set in a shallow basin. Stalk an inch long, not depressed. Flesh yellowish-white, melting, juicy, sugary, and richly flavoured. An excellent pear, in use from February till March.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.206/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘St. Germain’

‘Fruit large, of a pyramidal figure, tapering from the crown to the stalk, about three inches and three quarters long, and two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye small, in a shallow basin. Stalk an inch long, curved, inserted very obliquely in the fruit without any cavity. Skin yellowish green, when fully matured with a few brownish specks on the sunny side. Flesh white, melting, and full of a very rich, saccharine, high-flavoured juice. Ripe in November, and will keep good till Christmas.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.351/1831]. But this may be the ‘spurious sort’ described by Andrew Knight in the notes below.

Pyrus communis ‘Summer Bergamot’

‘Fruit below the middle size, round, and flattened at both the extremities, about two inches deep, and two inches and a quarter in diameter. Eye small, with an obtuse closed calyx, placed in a very shallow basin. Stalk half an inch long, thick, inserted in a small round cavity. Skin greenish yellow, with a good deal of pale brown russet, and specks on the sunny side. Flesh melting, with a sugary high-flavoured juice. Ripe the beginning and middle of September.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.353/1831].

Pyrus communis ‘Summer Bonchrétien’

‘Fruit large, irregularly pyramidal, about four inches long, and three inches in diameter, exceedingly knobby and irregular in its outline, particularly about the eye. Eye small, prominent, in a narrow, shallow, obtuse-angled basin. Stalk two inches and a half long, irregular and crooked, very obliquely inserted, in a knobby, irregular cavity. Skin, when fully ripe, of a pale lemon colour, very slightly tinged with red on the sunny side, and covered all over with small green dots. Flesh yellowish, breaking, firm, juicy, very sweet and excellent. Cone very small, placed near the eye. Ripe the middle of September.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.349/1831]. It is unclear why a pear that ripens in autumn should be called ‘Summer Bonchrétien’.

Pyrus communis ‘Suzette de Bavay’

‘Fruit medium sized, turbinate. Skin yellow, covered with numerous large russet dots and traces of russet. Eye open, placed in a shallow, undulating basin. Stalk an inch long, inserted in a small cavity. Flesh melting, juicy, sugary, and vinous, with a pleasant perfume. Ripe in January and February.’ [Hogg – Fruit Manual p.215/1860].

Pyrus communis ‘Uvedale’s St. Germain’

‘Fruit very large, of an oblong figure, tapering to the crown, but compressed between the middle and the stalk; its usual size is about four inches long, and three inches broad, but sometimes much larger. Eye wide, in a deep hollow. Stalk an inch long, bent, and rather deeply inserted in an oblique angular cavity. Skin smooth, dark green, and of a dull brown on the sunny side; but as it becomes matured it is of a red colour on a yellowish ground. Flesh white, hard, and a little gritty next the core, with an austere astringent juice, which renders it unfit for eating raw, but it is excellent for baking and stewing. In use from Christmas till April.’ [George Lindley – Orchard Guide p.413/1831].