LEMON PIPPIN
AppleLEMON PIPPIN
Origin / History
LEMON PIPPIN is an English variety (Elliott; Downing; Thomas), with Bunyard placing its origin probably before 1700. According to Bunyard, it was named from its resemblance to the lemon in shape and colour, noting that "this name has also been applied to other apples." Lindley (1841) cites Forsyth's Treatise (ed. 7, p. 112) and Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 550. Downing also tentatively associates it with "Pepin Limon de Galles ?". Bunyard references Ronalds, p. 10, and notes a German name, Konigin Sophiensapfel. Bunyard describes it as "an old sort, now little grown."
Tree
Wood very upright, rather strong, olive brown, downy at the end (Lindley). Leaves narrow, crenate, downy on the petioles and under surface when young, often brownish; stipules narrow, woolly (Lindley). Bunyard describes the leaf as long oval, upfolded, undulating, serrate. Growth moderate; fertility moderate (Bunyard). Lindley notes that it bears constantly as a standard in all the midland counties, and is one of the most valuable orchard fruits we possess. It is very little subject to spot, and does not readily bruise (Lindley).
Fruit
Size: Medium / middle-sized (Lindley; Elliott; Downing; Thomas; Bunyard). Bunyard gives dimensions of 2½ by 2½.
Form: Oval (Lindley; Elliott; Downing; Thomas; Bunyard), very regularly formed, without angles (Lindley); regular (Bunyard).
Stem: Lindley describes the stalk as curled and fleshy, this character being constant and remarkable, well characterising the variety — "fleshy, curved inwards, and forming a continuation of the fruit." Bunyard concurs that the stem is very short, often enclosed by a fleshy protuberance.
Cavity: Per Bunyard, the cavity is almost nil due to the fleshy protuberance enclosing the stem. (Lindley's description of the stalk forming a continuation of the fruit is consistent with this.)
Calyx / Eye: Lindley describes the eye as even and hollow. Bunyard describes the eye as closed or a little open.
Basin: Bunyard describes the basin as irregular. (Lindley describes the eye itself as hollow.)
Skin: Pale yellow green, with neither red nor russet (Lindley); pale greenish yellow (Elliott); lemon yellow (Downing); greenish-yellow (Thomas); green changing to lemon-yellow (Bunyard).
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh firm (Lindley; Elliott; Bunyard), breaking (Lindley); greenish-white (Bunyard). Flavor is described as sub-acid (Elliott; Thomas), brisk subacid (Downing), and acid (Bunyard). Lindley notes the juice is not abundant, nor high-flavoured, but very pleasant. Downing rates the quality as "Good."
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Lindley: comes into eating at the end of October and keeps well till March or April. Elliott: October, January. Downing: October. Bunyard: keeps till March (culinary use).
Uses
Bunyard classifies it as culinary. Lindley notes it is said to dry well, and that on account of being little subject to spot, not readily bruising, and for the sake of its beauty, it is particularly well adapted to the market.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 4 catalogs (1900–1913) from England, Illinois
- 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 (5)
— John Lindley, Pomologia Britannica, Vol. 1 (1841)THE LEMON PIPPIN.
Lemon Pippin. Forsyth's Treatise, ed. 7. p. 112. Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat. no. 550.
A good hardy variety, coming into eating in the end of October, and keeping well till March or April. It bears constantly as a standard in all the midland counties, and is one of the most valuable orchard fruits we possess. It is very little subject to spot, and does not readily bruise; on which accounts, as well as for the sake of its beauty, it is particularly well adapted to the market.
It is said to dry well. Its curled, fleshy stalk, which is constant and remarkable, characterises it well.
Wood very upright, rather strong, olive brown, downy at the end.
Leaves narrow, crenate, downy on the petioles and under surface, when young, often brownish; stipules narrow, woolly.
Fruit middle-sized, oval, very regularly formed, without angles. Stalk fleshy, curved inwards, and forming a continuation of the fruit. Eye even, hollow. Skin pale yellow green, with neither red nor russet. Flesh firm, breaking. Juice not abundant, nor high-flavoured, but very pleasant.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Lemon Pippin. Kirke's Lemon Pippin. Foreign. Medium, oval, pale greenish yellow ; flesh, firm, sub-acid. October, January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Lemon Pippin. Kirke's Lemon Pippin. Pepin Limon de Galles ? An English variety, of medium size, oval. Skin lemon yellow. Flesh firm, brisk subacid. Good. October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Lemon Pippin. Medium, oval, greenish-yellow; sub-acid. English.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)LEMON PIPPIN. Ronalds, p. 10. G., Konigin Sophiensapfel. (Winter Queen, Quince, Reinette von Madeira.) Culinary, till March, medium, 2½ by 2½, oval, regular. Colour, green changing to lemon-yellow. Flesh, firm, greenish-white, acid. Eye, closed or a little open, in an irregular basin. Stem, very short, often enclosed by a fleshy protuberance, the cavity then being almost nil. Growth, moderate ; fertility, moderate. Leaf, long oval, upfolded, undulating, serrate. Origin, probably before 1700. Named from its resemblance to the lemon in shape and colour. (This name has also been applied to other apples.) An old sort, now little grown.