Rousseline
PearRousseline
Origin / History
Merlet, the French pomologist, writing in 1675, appears to have been the first to describe this pear. He said it was well named Rousseline, being so similar to Rousselet in the buttery character of its flesh and its extraordinarily musky flavor. Hedrick cites Duhamel, Traité des Arbres Fruitiers 2:153, Pl. XV (1768), and Downing, Fruit Trees of America 847 (1869). Downing calls it an old variety, "now superseded by larger and better Pears."
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Small to below medium.
Form: Nearly globular (Downing). Pyriform inclining to obovate, swollen in the middle, narrowing obtusely toward the calyx and more acutely toward the stalk (Hedrick).
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Pale yellow, shaded with red in the sun, sprinkled with many russet dots (Downing). Dull green, dotted with brown scales and partly covered with large russet stains intermingled with gray mottlings (Hedrick).
Dots: Many, russet (Downing); brown scales (Hedrick).
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white; melting (Downing) or semi-melting (Hedrick). Hedrick adds fine, with some grit around the center, juice rarely abundant, highly saccharine, vinous and musky. Downing: sweet, musky. Quality "Good" (Downing); "second" (Hedrick).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to December: November (Downing); November and December (Hedrick).
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Rousseline.
Russelin.
An old variety, now superseded by larger and better Pears.
Fruit small, nearly globular. Pale yellow, shaded with red in sun, and sprinkled with many russet dots. Flesh white, melting, sweet, musky. Good. November.
— U.P. Hedrick, The Pears of New York (1921)Rousseline.
- Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:153, Pl. XV. 1768.
- Downing Fr. Trees Am. 847. 1869.
Merlet, the French pomologist, writing in 1675 appears to have been the first to describe this pear and he said it was well named Rousseline being so similar to Rousselet in the buttery character of its flesh and its extraordinarily musky flavor. Fruit below medium, pyriform inclining to obovate, swollen in the middle and narrowing obtusely toward the calyx and more acutely toward the stalk, dull green dotted with brown scales and partly covered with large russet stains intermingled with gray mottlings; flesh white, fine, semi-melting, some grit around the center; juice rarely abundant, highly saccharine, vinous and musky; second; Nov. and Dec.