Payenche

Pear

Payenche

Origin/History

Payenche is a French pear. It was found at the village of Payenche, in Périgord, France. Sources disagree on the date and circumstances of its discovery: Downing reports that it was "first discovered in the village of Payenche, in 1830," while Hedrick reports that it was "found in a hedge at the village of Payenche in Perigord" and "was taken to Paris in 1805." Elliott and Thomas simply note its foreign/French origin. Hedrick cites Leroy's Dictionnaire de Pomologie (2:512, with figure, 1869) and Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1845 and 1869 editions). Thomas illustrates it as Fig. 677.

Tree

A moderately vigorous to vigorous grower (Downing: "moderately vigorous"; Elliott: "vigorous growth") and an early bearer. Elliott notes it is "especially profitable on the Quince" (i.e., when grafted on quince rootstock). Bark, twigs, lenticels, buds, and leaves not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Medium, or nearly medium (Hedrick: "nearly medium").

Form: Oblong-ovate-pyriform (Downing, Hedrick); pyriform, extending into the stem (Elliott); pyriform approaching obovate-conic, described as "Tyson-shaped" (Thomas).

Stem: Stout. Downing describes it as "stout, curved, often a little inclined." Elliott describes it as "stout, uneven, dark brown," with the fruit extending into the stem. Thomas gives the stalk as "an inch long, stout."

Cavity: Set with a scarcely perceptible cavity (Downing).

Calyx: Rather large and open (Downing); open, with segments half erect (Elliott); erect (Thomas). Basin small and abrupt (Downing); very shallow (Elliott); shallow (Thomas).

Skin: Light yellow with a rich warm red cheek in the sun, much netted and specked with rough russet (Downing). Light yellow, stained or marbled and dotted with gray-russet, and colored with brick-red on the side facing the sun (Hedrick). Elliott describes the color as at first a dull pale green, becoming brownish yellow at maturity, with many russet dots and patches around the stem and calyx, few in the center, and occasionally a tinge of dull red in the sun. Thomas gives the skin as dull yellow, slightly russeted, with a faint dull blush.

Flesh/Flavor: Flesh yellowish white (Downing) to white (Hedrick, Elliott, Thomas). Texture is a little coarse (Downing), rather coarse (Elliott), or semi-fine (Hedrick); melting or semi-melting, with some grit around the core (Hedrick). Juicy — Hedrick calls the juice "extremely abundant." Flavor is sweet and slightly aromatic (Downing); very saccharine and acidulous, with a savory perfume and a slight after-taste of anise (Hedrick); sugary and vinous (Elliott). Quality rated "good to very good" (Downing), "first" (Hedrick), and "good" (Thomas).

Core/Seeds: Core small (Elliott); some grit around the core (Hedrick). Seeds oblong, pointed, dark brown (Elliott).

Season

October (Downing, Hedrick, Elliott); mid-autumn (Thomas). Rated "first" in season by Hedrick.

Uses

Elliott notes it is "especially profitable on the Quince." Otherwise not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

View original book sources (4)

Payenche.

Poire de Payency. De Perigord. Payenchi. Paquency. Payenchi de Perigord. Payency.

This Pear was first discovered in the village of Payenche, in 1830. Tree a moderately vigorous grower and an early bearer.

Fruit medium size, oblong ovate pyriform, light yellow, with a rich warm red cheek in the sun, much netted and specked with rough russet. Stalk stout, curved, often a little inclined, and set with a scarcely per- ceptible cavity. Calyx rather large, open. Basin small, abrupt. Flesh yellowish white, a little coarse, melting, juicy, sweet, slightly aromatic. Good to very good. October.

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

Payenche.

Leroy Diet. Pom. 2:512, fig. 1869. 2. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 830. 1869. Paquency. 3. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 404. 1845.

Found in a hedge at the village of Payenche in Perigord, Fr. It was taken to Paris in 1805. Fruit nearly medium, oblong-ovate-pyriform, light yellow stained or marbled and dotted with gray-russet and colored with brick-red on the side of the sun; flesh white, semi-fine, melting or semi-melting, some grit around the core; juice extremely abundant, very saccharine, acidulous, with a savory perfume and a slight after-taste of anis; first; Oct.

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

Payency.

Paquency, Poire de Payency, Poire de Perigord, Payenchi, Payenchi de Périgord.

Foreign. Tree of vigorous growth, early bearer, and especially profitable on the Quince.

Fruit, medium, pyriform, extending into the stem, which is stout, uneven, dark brown; color, at first dull pale green, becoming brownish yellow at maturity, many russet dots and patches round stem and calyx, few in centre, occasionally a tinge of dull red in sun; calyx, open, segments half erect; basin, very shallow; core, small; seeds, oblong pointed, dark brown; flesh, white, rather coarse, melting, juicy, sugary, vinous. October.

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

Payency. (Paquency.) Size medium; pyriform approaching obovate-conic (Tyson-shaped); skin dull yellow, slightly russeted, with a faint dull blush; stalk an inch long, stout; calyx erect, basin shallow; flesh white, juicy, melting, good. Mid-autumn. French. Fig. 677.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

De Perigord Paquency Payenchez Payenchi Payenchi de Perigord Payenchi de Périgord Payency Perigord (P. de) Poire de Payency Poire de Perigord