Cornish Gilliflower
AppleCornish Gilliflower
Origin / History
An old English apple, probably of Cornish origin, introduced to notice about 1813 (Bunyard). Probably not the July flower of Evelyn (Bunyard). Elliott classifies it as "Foreign."
Tree
A poor grower and shy bearer (Downing); a poor bearer (Thomas). Bunyard describes growth as slender and moderately fertile. Leaf upward held, upfolded (Bunyard). Best as a standard or free bush (Bunyard). Requires good treatment and a warm climate (Bunyard); needs a sunny position on walls (Bunyard 1914 catalogue).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Elliott, Downing, Bunyard handbook, Bunyard 1901 catalogue); rather large (Thomas); medium to large (Bunyard 1914 catalogue). Bunyard gives dimensions of 2¾ by 3 inches.
Form: Sources broadly agree on a conical, ribbed shape, with some variation in detail. Elliott: oblong ovate. Downing: roundish, conical, narrowing much to the eye where it is ribbed. Thomas: conic, ribbed. Bunyard: round, conical, irregular.
Stem: Fairly long, set in a small cavity (Bunyard). Other sources do not describe the stem.
Cavity: Small (Bunyard). Other sources do not describe the cavity.
Calyx / Eye: Closed, set in a deep ribbed basin (Bunyard). Downing notes the fruit narrows much to the eye where it is ribbed.
Basin: Deep and ribbed (Bunyard).
Skin / Color: Sources differ in emphasis but agree on a green/yellow ground with red and often russet overlay. Elliott: pale yellowish green with a brown cheek. Downing: dull green, or dark yellowish green, with a sunny side of brownish red, intermixed with a few streaks of richer red. Thomas: dull stripes. Bunyard handbook: greenish-yellow, streaked dull red with russet. Bunyard 1901 catalogue: pale yellow with deep red striping. Bunyard 1914 catalogue: greenish and aromatic, red striped and blotched.
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh yellowish (Elliott, Downing) or yellow (Thomas) or pale yellow (Bunyard), firm (Downing, Thomas, Bunyard). Flavor is rich, high, and slightly aromatic with a perfume (Downing); very rich and aromatic (Thomas); very richly flavoured (Bunyard handbook); excellent flavor (Bunyard 1901 catalogue); good flavour, with the fruit itself aromatic (Bunyard 1914 catalogue); of delicious flavour (Bunyard handbook). Elliott alone describes the flesh as acid.
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Sources give somewhat varying seasons. Elliott: November to February. Downing: November to April. Thomas: Winter. Bunyard handbook: Dessert, December to May. Bunyard 1914 catalogue: Dessert, September to January.
Uses
Dessert apple (Bunyard handbook and 1914 catalogue).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Bunyard's 1914 catalogue carries the trailing notation "(H, B.T., P.)" alongside the description. Bunyard references the entry in Herefordshire Pomona, p. 41.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1893–1913) from England, Illinois
- Milwaukie-Canby Nurseries , Canby, OR (and Milwaukie, OR) — 1893
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Cornish Gilliflower.
Cornish July Flower, | Pomme Regelans, | Egg Top, of some.
Foreign. Medium, oblong ovate, pale yellowish green, brown cheek; flesh, yellowish, acid. November to February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Cornish Gilliflower.
Cornish July-flower. Pomme Regelans. Red Gilliflower. Calville d'Angleterre. Cornwallisser. Nelken Apfel.
An old English Apple. Tree a poor grower and shy bearer.
Fruit medium size, roundish, conical, narrowing much to the eye where it is ribbed, dull green, or dark yellowish green, with a sunny side of brownish red, intermixed with a few streaks of richer red. Flesh yellowish, firm, with a rich, high flavor, and a slight aromatic perfume. Good. November to April.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Cornish Gilliflower, or Red Gilliflower. Rather large, conic, ribbed; dull stripes; flesh yellow, firm, very rich, aromatic. Winter. English. A poor bearer.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)CORNISH GILLYFLOWER. Her. Pom., p. 41. F., Calville d'Angelterre; G., Cornwalliser Nelken (Regelans). Dessert, December to May, 2¾ by 3, medium, round, conical, irregular. Colour, greenish-yellow, streaked dull red with russet. Flesh, firm, pale yellow, very richly flavoured. Eye, closed in a deep ribbed basin. Stem, fairly long in a small cavity. Growth, slender; moderately fertile. Leaf, upward held, upfolded. Origin, probably Cornish, introduced to notice about 1813. Probably not the July flower of Evelyn. Of delicious flavour; requires good treatment and a warm climate. Best as a standard or free bush.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Cornish Gillyflower", pp. 50–51]
CORNISH GILLYFLOWER. Her. Pom., p. 41. F., Calville d'Angelterre ; G., Cornwalliser Nelken (Regelans). Dessert, December to May, 2¾ by 3, medium, round, conical, irregular. Colour, greenish-yellow, streaked dull red with russet. Flesh, firm, pale yellow, very richly flavoured. Eye, closed in a deep ribbed basin. Stem, fairly long in a small cavity. Growth, slender ; moderately fertile. Leaf, upward held, upfolded. Origin, probably Cornish, introduced to notice about 1813. Probably not the July flower of Evelyn. Of delicious flavour ; requires good treatment and a warm climate. Best as a standard or free bush.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Fruit Catalogue (1901) (1901)Medium sized, pale yellow with deep red striping. Excellent flavor.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Sept.-Jan. Medium to large, greenish and aromatic, red striped and blotched; good flavour. Needs sunny position on walls. (H, B.T., P.)