Arabka

Origin/History

Origin Russia. Hansen (1902) notes that the Arabka of U.S. Department of Agriculture importation is early fall and of the Oldenburg type, while the specimen he describes was grown by R. P. Speer of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and closely resembles Romna. The Russian Nomenclature Committee description of Arabskoe (included by Hansen alongside his Arabka entry) represents a third form with distinctly different characteristics; it was trialed by Mr. Patten. The Agassiz, BC specimen was planted spring 1893.

Tree

Vigor and habit: Vigorous grower and productive (Agassiz, 1900). Blights badly, according to Mr. Patten's experience with the Arabskoe form (Hansen, Russian Nomenclature Committee description).

Fruit

Size: Large (Agassiz; Hansen's Arabka). The Russian Nomenclature Committee rates size as 6 for Arabskoe (Hansen).

Form: Conical (Agassiz). Roundish, very regular (Hansen's Arabka). Round (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Note conflict: Agassiz gives conical; Hansen's Arabka gives roundish; Arabskoe gives round.

Stem: Medium to long (Hansen's Arabka). Short and stout (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen).

Cavity: Regular, deep, acuminate (Hansen's Arabka). Small, deep (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Note conflict on cavity size: acuminate and deep vs. small and deep.

Calyx: Closed, small (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Not described in Hansen's Arabka entry or in the Agassiz source.

Basin: Shallow, nearly smooth (Hansen's Arabka). Broad, shallow, wrinkled, strongly pubescent (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Note conflict: nearly smooth vs. wrinkled and strongly pubescent.

Skin: Greenish yellow with a purple cheek (Agassiz). Greenish yellow with bronze blush; dots obscure, numerous, whitish, areolar, with scattered russet dots (Hansen's Arabka). Green, overspread with dull purplish red, numerous white dots (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Note conflict on blush character: Agassiz and Arabskoe agree on purple/purplish red; Hansen's Arabka gives bronze. Agassiz and Hansen agree on greenish-yellow ground color.

Flesh and flavor: White, crisp, tender, mildly acid, quality good (Agassiz). White, firm, pleasant, subacid, good (Hansen's Arabka). White, coarse, loose, acid (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Note conflict: Agassiz and Hansen's Arabka agree on white flesh of acceptable quality, crisp/firm texture, and mild subacid flavor; Arabskoe is described as coarse, loose, and plainly acid.

Core and seeds: Cells elliptical; tube conical; seeds large, flattened, long (Hansen's Arabka). Not described in Agassiz or in the Arabskoe entry.

Season

Late Autumn (Agassiz). Early winter (Hansen's Arabka). Winter (Arabskoe per Russian Nomenclature Committee in Hansen). Hansen explicitly notes that the USDA Arabka importation of Oldenburg type ripens in early fall — earlier than the Speer/Iowa specimen he describes. The three forms thus span early fall through winter.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Hansen explicitly distinguishes at least two Arabkas in American cultivation: (1) the USDA Department of Agriculture importation, characterized as early fall and of the Oldenburg type; (2) the specimen grown by R. P. Speer, Cedar Falls, Iowa, which resembles Romna and ripens in early winter. He further includes a Russian Nomenclature Committee description of Arabskoe (labeled "Arabskoe of Tuttle") with substantially different fruit characteristics — round form, short stout stem, broad wrinkled pubescent basin, coarse loose white flesh, acid flavor, and winter season — suggesting Arabskoe may represent a distinct variety or importation.

Other

Not described in source.