Currant
Crab Apple
Currant (Crab Apple)
Origin/History
Referenced in Downing (1857), Barry (1883), Bailey (1892), and Gibb (Montreal Horticultural Society Report, 1884). The variety is also recorded under the French name Pomme Groseille. Beach notes it is said to be hardier than Transcendent. No specific place of origin is described in the sources.
Tree
(Beach) Tree moderately vigorous with moderately long, slender, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, roundish, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent. The tree is a good grower, comes into bearing young, and is productive.
Fruit
Size and form: Fruits are of the size of currants (Desportes, Downing), or small or below medium (Beach), borne in clusters as currants are. Form somewhat oblate, regular, uniform (Beach); round, a little compressed towards the two ends (Desportes, Downing).
Stem: About half an inch long (Desportes). Medium to long, rather slender (Beach).
Cavity: Obtuse, rather deep, broad, symmetrical, frequently russeted (Beach).
Calyx: Eye large (Desportes). Calyx sometimes deciduous, medium size, closed; lobes rather narrow, acute (Beach).
Basin: Rather deep, wide, abrupt, obscurely furrowed (Beach).
Skin: [NOTE: Conflict between sources on ground color.] Desportes and Downing describe the fruit as red colored, slightly striped with deep red. Beach describes the skin as thin, tough, smooth, glossy, yellow, striped with brilliant red, overspread with bluish bloom.
Dots: Numerous, small, pale or whitish (Beach).
Flesh/Flavor: Yellowish, firm, moderately fine, tender, dry, subacid, medium to poor (Beach).
Core/Seeds: Calyx tube broadly cone-shaped, short. Stamens marginal. Core medium to rather large, axile; cells closed; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish to elliptical, emarginate. Seeds light brown, medium to large, wide, somewhat obtuse (Beach).
Season
October and November (Beach).
Uses
Of no commercial value (Beach). Ornamental in its flowers as well as its fruits (Desportes, Downing).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— B. Desportes, The Horticulturist (1856)No. 12. THE CURRANT CRAB —Pomme groscille. The fruits of this kind of apple are of the size of the currants, and are borne like them, in clusters. They are round, a little compressed towards the two ends; the stem is about half an inch long; the eye is large; red colored, slightly striped with deep red; it is ornamental in its flowers as well as its fruits.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Currant Crab.
The fruits of this kind are of the size of currants, and are borne like them in clusters ; they are round, a little compressed towards the ends. Color red, slightly striped with deep red. It is ornamental in its flowers as well as its fruits.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)CURRANT.
REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1857:229. 2. Barry, 1883:359. 3. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:237. 4. Gibb, Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1884:39.
SYNONYMS. CURRANT (2). CURRANT CRAB (1, 3). CURRENT CRAB (4). Pomme Groseille (1).
Fruit small, borne in clusters; said to be hardier than Transcendent. Of no commercial value. The tree is a good grower, comes into bearing young and is productive.
TREE. Tree moderately vigorous with moderately long, slender, curved branches. Form upright spreading or roundish, open. Twigs long, curved, slender; internodes short. Bark dark brown, lightly mottled with scarf-skin; slightly pubescent near tips. Lenticels quite numerous, medium size, roundish, slightly raised. Buds medium size, plump, acute, free, slightly pubescent.
FRUIT. Fruit small or below medium. Form somewhat oblate, regular, uniform. Stem medium to long, rather slender. Cavity obtuse, rather deep, broad, symmetrical, frequently russeted. Calyx sometimes deciduous, medium size, closed; lobes rather narrow, acute. Basin rather deep, wide, abrupt, obscurely furrowed. Skin thin, tough, smooth, glossy, yellow, striped with brilliant red, overspread with bluish bloom. Dots numerous, small, pale or whitish. Calyx tube broadly cone-shaped, short. Stamens marginal. Core medium to rather large, axile; cells closed; core lines clasping. Carpels roundish to elliptical, emarginate. Seeds light brown, medium to large, wide, somewhat obtuse. Flesh yellowish, firm, moderately fine, tender, dry, subacid, medium to poor. Season October and November.