Rousseline

Pear

Rousseline

Origin/History

An old variety, now superseded by larger and better pears (Downing). The French pomologist Merlet, 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).

Literary references: Duhamel, Traité des Arbres Fruitiers 2:153, Pl. XV (1768); Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America 847 (1869).

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Small (Downing); below medium (Hedrick).

Form: Nearly globular (Downing). Pyriform inclining to obovate, swollen in the middle, narrowing obtusely toward the calyx and more acutely toward the stalk (Hedrick). These descriptions conflict substantially — Downing and Hedrick may have examined different specimens or strains.

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: The two sources conflict on color. Downing describes the skin as pale yellow, shaded with red in the sun, and sprinkled with many russet dots. Hedrick describes it as dull green, dotted with brown scales, and partly covered with large russet stains intermingled with gray mottlings.

Flesh and Flavor: Flesh white (both sources). Downing describes it as melting, sweet, and musky. Hedrick describes it as fine and semi-melting, with some grit around the center; juice rarely abundant, highly saccharine, vinous, and musky.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Quality: Good (Downing); second quality (Hedrick).

Season

November (Downing); November and December (Hedrick).

Uses

Not described in source. Downing notes the variety has been superseded by larger and better pears, indicating limited contemporary commercial value at the time of his writing.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 2 period pomological works

View original book sources (2)

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An old variety, now superseded by larger and better Pears.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.

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

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.

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

Russelin