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Chypre

Pear

Chypre

Origin / History

Ancient pear of uncertain origin. Described by Merlet in 1675 and cultivated even earlier by Le Lectier in his garden at Orleans. Probably originated at the beginning of the seventeenth century; whether it took its name from the Island of Cyprus or the cypress tree is uncertain. Duhamel in 1768, Poiteau in 1848 and Dr. Hogg in 1884 make it synonymous with Early Rousselet; Leroy regards it as a separate variety.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Small.

Form: Globular-turbinate.

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Bright grayish-green, stained with brownish-red on the side of the sun.

Dots: Not described in source.

Flesh and flavor: Flesh dense, rather coarse, semi-breaking; juice abundant, vinous, sugary, with a perfume recalling cinnamon. First as an early pear.

Core and seeds: Not described in source.

Season

July and August.

Uses

Early pear.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

View original book sources (1)

Chypre.

i. Leroy Diet. Pom. 1:561, fig. 1867. 2. Hogg Fruit Man. 571. 1884.

Duhamel in 1768, Poiteau in 1848 and Dr. Hogg in 1884 make this pear synonymous with Early Rousselet. Leroy regards it as a separate variety. It is an ancient pear of uncertain origin. It was described by Merlet in 1675 and was cultivated even earlier by Le Lectier in his garden at Orleans. Probably it originated at the beginning of the seventeenth century, but whether it took its name from the Island of Cyprus or the cypress tree seems uncertain. Fruit small, globular-turbinate, bright grayish-green, stained with brownish-red on the side of the sun; flesh dense, rather coarse, semi-breaking; juice abundant, vinous, sugary, with a perfume recalling cinnamon; first as an early pear; July and Aug.

— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)
Early Rousselet Gros Rousselet Kleine Pfalzgrafin Ognonnet Rousselet Hatif Timpling