Sanguinole

Sanguinole

Origin/History

An ancient pear of unknown origin. According to Claude Mollet (1810), it was imported to France from Switzerland. It was known in Germany as early as 1500. Downing regards it as desirable only as an amateur curiosity; Hedrick notes its consequence lies principally in the distinctive color of its flesh.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Downing describes the fruit as small to medium; Hedrick as below medium or small.

Form: Downing describes it as roundish. Hedrick describes it as variable in form — turbinate-obtuse or globular, bossed.

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Downing describes the skin as pale yellow, brownish in the sun, with irregular-shaped brown dots and specks. Hedrick describes it as rather thick and rough, green dotted with gray and red, sprinkled with streaks and patches of russet, and sometimes slightly carmined on the face exposed to the sun.

Flesh/Flavor: Downing describes the flesh as white, tinged with red, juicy, and melting, rating it Good. Hedrick describes the flesh as transparent and red, semi-fine, semi-breaking, juicy, saccharine, acidulous, more or less musky, and agreeable, rating it second quality, sometimes third. Hedrick further notes that the flesh decomposes rapidly. The two sources conflict on flesh color: Downing gives white tinged with red, while Hedrick gives transparent red.

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

Downing gives September. Hedrick gives August and September.

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Downing lists the variety under the synonyms Sanguine d'Italie, Bloody, and Grenade. Hedrick cites it as Sanguine de France in one of his bibliographic references (Bunyard, 1920).