Scollop Gilliflower
Apple
Scollop Gilliflower
Origin / History
An old variety of unknown origin (Downing; Beach). It is supposed to be an old European variety (Warder). It was formerly grown to some extent in New York State but is now practically obsolete (Beach). According to Elliott, it is an entirely distinct variety from the Red Gilliflower, with which it has often been confounded — Warder notes that the name "Red Gilliflower" is also very commonly applied to quite another fruit, the Red Winter Pearmain. Beach adds that it has sometimes been confounded with the Red Gilliflower of Elliott and sometimes with the Striped Gilliflower. It has been much esteemed in some portions of Ohio (Beach, citing Elliott); Elliott specifies it is largely grown and much esteemed in Central Southern Ohio, and that it requires rich, strong soil. Thomas associates the variety with Ohio. References cited by Beach span Kenrick (1835), Elliott (1854), Watts in the Horticulturist (1855), Hooper (1857), Warder (1867), Downing (1869, 1875, 1876), and Thomas (1875).
Tree
Downing (as quoted by Beach) describes the tree as a moderate or poor grower, with young shoots much darker colored than those of the Striped Gilliflower, the tree more spreading and unproductive than the Striped Gilliflower. Otherwise not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Large (Warder); medium to large (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); rather large (Thomas).
Form: Round-conic to roundish-conical, flattened at base, tapering towards the eye (Downing, Elliott, Beach; Warder gives "round-conic"). Very irregular, furrowed and ribbed (Warder); always much ribbed or scolloped (Downing, Elliott, Thomas, Beach quoting Elliott); sometimes angular (Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott). Its peculiarly irregular form makes it quite a remarkable fruit (Warder). Downing (per Beach) notes the fruit is more ribbed and much darker than the Striped Gilliflower, with broader stripes and splashes.
Stem: Short and slender (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); medium (Warder).
Cavity: Deep (Warder, Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); acute (Warder); russeted (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); irregular, wavy (Warder); irregular (Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott).
Calyx / Eye: Calyx with long segments (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott). Eye medium, closed (Warder).
Basin: Abrupt, deep, ribbed (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); abrupt, deep, folded or ribbed (Warder).
Skin: Light yellow, striped and splashed with shades of light and dark red (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); surface yellow, marbled and splashed scarlet (Warder). Downing (per Beach) characterizes the color as much darker and rather dull red with broader stripes and splashes compared with the Striped Gilliflower.
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh / Flavor: Flesh yellow (Warder) to yellowish (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); more yellow than the Striped Gilliflower (Downing per Beach). Texture: breaking, tender (Warder); firm, tender, juicy (Downing); firm, crisp, tender, juicy (Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott). Flavor sub-acid and aromatic (Warder); a slight tinge of sweet (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); mildly subacid, aromatic, and richer in quality than the Striped Gilliflower (Downing per Beach). Quality: scarcely good (Warder); "Good" (Downing); use for table and kitchen (Warder).
Core / Seeds: Core large and hollow (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); Warder describes the core as regular, round, very open, meeting the eye. Seeds numerous and plump (Warder); ovate, rounded (Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott).
Season
November to February (Downing, Elliott, Beach quoting Elliott); November, December (Warder); December (Thomas). Warder notes it is chiefly grown northward. Downing (per Beach) states it ripens a month or more later than the Striped Gilliflower.
Uses
Table and kitchen (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Beach quotes Elliott's full description verbatim: "medium to large, roundish conical, flattened at base, tapering toward the eye, sometimes angular, always much ribbed or scolloped; light yellow, striped and splashed with shades of light and dark red; stem short, slender; cavity deep, russeted, irregular; calyx with long segments; basin abrupt, deep, ribbed; core large, hollow; seeds ovate, rounded; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, tender, juicy, slight tinge of sweet. November to February." Downing also flags "Striped Gilliflower" with a question mark as a possibly-related name.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
View original book sources (5)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Scalloped Gilliflower
This is supposed to be an old European variety. Its peculiarly irregular form makes it quite a remarkable fruit. It is sometimes called Red Gilliflower; but that name is also very commonly applied to quite another fruit—the Red Winter Pearmain, described on a previous page, in Class II., Order I., Section 2., Sub-section 2.
Fruit large, round-conic, very irregular, furrowed and ribbed; Surface yellow, marbled and splashed scarlet.
Basin abrupt, deep, folded or ribbed; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity deep, acute, irregular, wavy; Stem medium.
Core regular, round, very open, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, plump; Flesh yellow, breaking, tender; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic; Quality scarcely good; Use, table, kitchen; Season, November, December. Chiefly grown northward.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Scollop Gilliflower. Scolloped Gilliflower. Striped Gilliflower ? This, according to Elliott, is an entirely distinct variety from Red Gilliflower. Origin unknown. Fruit medium to large, roundish conical, flattened at base, tapering towards the eye, always much ribbed or scolloped, light yellow, striped and splashed with shades of light and dark red. Stalk short, slender. Cavity deep, russeted. Calyx with long segments. Basin abrupt, deep, ribbed. Flesh yellowish, firm, tender, juicy, slight tinge of sweet. Core large, hollow. Good. November to February.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)SCOLLOP GILLIFLOWER.
REFERENCES. 1. Kenrick, 1835:73. 2. Elliott, 1854:156. fig. 3. Watts, Horticulturist, 10:98. 1855. 4. Hooper, 1857:83. 5. Warder, 1867:543. 6. Downing, 1869:348. 7. Downing, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1875:68. 8. Thomas, 1875:511. 9. Downing, 1876:69, 70, app.
SYNONYMS. Cornish Gilliflower (3). Five-Quartered Gilliflower (7, 9). Jellyflower (7, 9). Red Gilliflower (3, 5, of some 7 and 9). Ribbed Gilliflower (7, 9). Scalloped Gillyflower (1). Scalloped Gilliflower (5). Scollop Gilliflower (2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9). Scolloped Gilliflower (3). Scolloped Gilliflower (6).
An old variety of unknown origin which was formerly grown to some extent in this state but is now practically obsolete. It has sometimes been confounded with the Red Gilliflower of Elliott (2) and sometimes with Striped Gilliflower (9). It has been much esteemed in some portions of Ohio (2). Downing describes it as a moderate or poor grower with young shoots much darker colored than those of Striped Gilliflower, the tree more spreading and unproductive and the fruit more ribbed, much darker, rather dull red with broader stripes and splashes, with flesh more yellow, mildly subacid, aromatic, richer in quality and a month or more later in ripening than Striped Gilliflower (9). Elliott (2) describes the fruit as "medium to large, roundish conical, flattened at base, tapering toward the eye, sometimes angular, always much ribbed or scolloped; light yellow, striped and splashed with shades of light and dark red; stem short, slender; cavity deep, russeted, irregular; calyx with long segments; basin abrupt, deep, ribbed; core large, hollow; seeds ovate, rounded; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, tender, juicy, slight tinge of sweet. November to February."
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Scollop Gilliflower.
This is entirely distinct from Red Gilliflower, with which it has been confounded. It requires rich, strong soil; is largely grown, and much esteemed in Central Southern Ohio. Fruit, medium to large, roundish conical, flattened at base, tapering towards the eye, sometimes angular, always much ribbed or scolloped; light yellow, striped and splashed with shades of light and dark red; stem, short, slender; cavity, deep, russeted, irregular; calyx, with long segments; basin, abrupt, deep, ribbed; core, large, hollow; seeds, ovate rounded; flesh, yellowish, firm, crisp, tender, juicy, slight tinge of sweet. November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Scollop Gilliflower. Rather large, roundish-conic, much ribbed, striped, firm. December. Ohio.