Beurre Richelieu

Pear

Beurre Richelieu

Origin/History

Not described in source. Hedrick (1921) cites Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1869) as a primary reference.

Tree

Vigorous. Young shoots dull olive reddish brown. (Downing)

Fruit

Size: Large.

Form: Downing and Hedrick describe the form as obtuse pyriform truncate. Elliott gives a more detailed characterization: obovate oblong, obtuse pyriform, truncate, irregular.

Stem: Downing describes the stalk as short, inserted by a slight lip in a broad depression. Elliott describes the stem as stout, with a slight lip — giving a different emphasis (Elliott notes girth; Downing notes length).

Cavity: Broad depression at stem insertion (Downing).

Calyx: Firmly closed (Downing); closed (Elliott). Set in a broad, shallow, furrowed basin.

Basin: Broad, shallow, and furrowed.

Skin: Greenish, inclining to yellow, sprinkled with dots (Downing, Hedrick). Elliott describes the surface as greenish yellow with dots.

Flesh/Flavor: Buttery, juicy, melting, with a fine sweet, aromatic flavor. Downing and Hedrick add that it is sometimes astringent. Quality rated good to very good.

Season

Downing and Hedrick give December. Elliott gives November.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

View original book sources (3)

Beurre Richelieu.

Tree vigorous. Young shoots dull olive reddish brown.

Fruit large, obtuse pyriform truncate. Skin greenish, inclining to yellow, sprinkled with dots. Stalk short, inserted by a slight lip in a broad depression. Calyx firmly closed, set in a broad, shallow, furrowed basin. Flesh buttery, juicy, melting, with a fine sweet, aromatic flavor, sometimes astringent. Good to very good. December.

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

Beurre Richelieu,

Downing Fr. Trees Am. 696. 1869.

Fruit large; obtuse-pyriform-truncate; skin greenish, inclining to yellow, sprinkled with dots; flesh buttery, juicy, melting, with a fine, sweet, aromatic flavor, sometimes astringent; good to very good; Dec.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)

Beurre Richelieu.

Large, obovate oblong, obtuse pyriform, truncate irregular, greenish yellow dots ; stem, stout, slight lip ; calyx, closed ; basin, broad, shallow, furrowed ; flesh, buttery, juicy, melting, sweet, aromatic; "good" to "very good." November.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)