A MANUAL KEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF APPLES BASED ON THE DESCRIPTIONS IN BULTITUDE (1983)
Simon Clark of Northern Fruit Group and National Orchard Forum, with assistance from Quentin Cleal (NOF).
This key is not definitive and is intended to enable the user to “home in” rapidly on likely varieties which should then be confirmed in one or more of the manuals that contain detailed descriptions e.g. Bunyard, Bultitude , Hogg or Sanders .
The varieties in this key comprise Bultitude’s list together with some widely grown cultivars developed since Bultitude produced his book. The page numbers of Bultitude’s descriptions are included.
The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale are preparing a list of “recent” varieties not included in Bultitude(1983) but which are likely to be encountered. This list should be available by late August. As soon as I receive it I will let you have copy. I will tabulate the characters of the varieties so that you can easily “slot them in to” the key.
Feedback welcome, Tel: 0113 266 3235 (with answer phone), E-mail [email protected]
Simon Clark, August 2005
References: Bultitude J. (1983) Apples. Macmillan Press, London Bunyard E.A. (1920) A Handbook of Hardy Fruits; Apples and Pears. John Murray, London Hogg R. (1884) The Fruit Manual. Journal of the Horticultural Office, London. Reprinted 2002 Langford Press, Wigtown. Sanders R. (1988) The English Apple. Phaidon, Oxford
Each variety is categorised as belonging to one of eight broad groups. These groups are delineated using skin characteristics and usage i.e. whether cookers, (sour) or eaters (sweet).
GROUPS
GROUP 1 Green skin Non striped Rarely flushed Smooth skinned A few are white on the tree cookers; sour tasting raw, usually large e.g. Lord Derby >...... G1 p.4
GROUP 2 Green skin Striped Smooth skinned Cookers; most are sour tasting raw but a few are slightly sweet, usually large e.g. Lane’s Prince Albert >...... G2 p.4
- 1 - 2 GROUP 3 Golden skin Non striped Occasionally flushed A few turn white when fully ripe Mainly cookers but a few are dessert i.e. most are sour tasting raw but a few are sweet and palatable e. g. Golden Noble & Golden Spire >...... G3 p.6
GROUP 4 Greenish-yellow skin Prominent stripes Some are flushed Smooth skinned Mainly dessert but a few are cookers. i..e most are sweet and palatable raw but a few are sour tasting e.g. Peasgood Nonsuch & James Grieve >...... G4 p.7
GROUP 5 Continuous dark red skin Occasionally obscurely striped Smooth skinned Mainly dessert i.e most are sweet and palatable raw but a few are cookers and sour tasting raw. e.g Baumann’s Reinette & Worcester Pearmain >...... G5 p.9
GROUP 6 Green skin Smooth skinned dessert i.e. sweet and palatable raw e.g Granny Smith >...... G6 p.11
GROUP 7 Discontinuous red skin Discontinuously russeted skin Dessert i.e.all are sweet and palatable raw eg Cox’s Orange Pippin & Blenheim Orange >...... G7 p.12
GROUP 8 Continuously russeted skin No stripes Occasional flush Dessert i.e.all are sweet and palatable raw eg Egremont Russet >...... G8 p.14
Within each group, the varieties are divided according to season and shape.
SEASON August Early September October Mid November December Late January V Late February onwards SHAPE
“Terminal boxes” If the season and shape characters fail to produce a terminal group of four or fewer varieties,(e.g. the “reinette type” varieties in Group 8, additional characters have been used to split these groups further, to avoid having to search through a large number of descriptions to find the “correct” variety.
Where the terminal group exceeds four varieties, it is extremely time consuming to work through the full descriptions of these varieties in the manuals. To reduce the size of these terminal groups and hence to minimise the number of full descriptions that have to be checked, the varieties in terminal groups containing five or more varieties have been separated, using five easily determined additional characters three of which are internal characters. To use these internal characters the fruits have to be cut in transverse section to see the two carpel characters, whilst to see the calyx cavity the basin half of the cut fruit has to be bisected, with the cut dividing the calyx cavity vertically into equal halves
Because of variation within varieties you will come across specimens that have different characteristics to those given in the terminal boxes. These descriptions are not intended to be definitive but are included as a non essential aid to reducing the amount of time needed to check through the full descriptions in Bultitude. So don’t worry if a particular box is unhelpful; alter the definitions for your future use if you think this will reduce errors and/or go directly to the full descriptions in Bultitude!
- 3 - 4
GROUP 1: Green skin, non striped, rarely flushed, smooth skinned, a few are white on the tree, cookers; sour tasting raw, usually large e.g. Lord Derby
EARLY Flat Stirling Castle 12 Round Grenadier 183 Pott’s Seedling 271 Conical Early Victoria 152 Lord Grosvenor 230 Oblong
MID Flat Ecklinville 153 Round Charles Eyre 117 Conical Lord Derby 229 Shoesmith 289 Oblong
LATE Flat Broad-eyed Pippin 105 Round Dewdney’s Seedling Conical Warner’s King 308 Oblong Catshead 115
VERY LATE Flat Round Edward VII 154 Hormead Pearmain 195 Woolbrook Russet 316 French Crab 165 Conical Rhode Island Greening 277 Oblong Alfriston 73 Gloria Mundi 175 Gooseberry 179
GROUP 2: Green skin, striped, Smooth skinned, Cookers; most are sour tasting raw but a few are slightly sweet, usually large, e.g. Lane’s Prince Albert
EARLY Flat Queen 272 Round George Neal 173 Conical Oblong
MID Flat Round Frogmore Prolific 167 Bushey Grove 108 Cox’s Pomona 135 Conical Alexander 72 Tom Putt 303 Oblong
LATE Flat Belle de Pontoise 95 Bramley’s Seedling 104 Round T. 3 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Arthur Barnes (79) spherical absent narrow closed funnel Byfleet seedling (109) polygonal prominent broad closed funnel Chelmsford wonder (120) polygonal prominent broad open funnel Cottenham seedling (132) polygonal obscure broad open cone Monarch (252) spherical obscure broad open funnel Newton Wonder (254) spherical prominent broad closed funnel Yorkshire Greening (319) polygonal absent broad open cone Conical T. 4 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Beauty of Kent polygonal prominent broad open cone Bismark (99) polygonal prominent narrow closed variable Horneburger Pfannkuchen polygonal obscure broad open cone (196) Isaac Newton’s Tree polygonal obscure broad open cone Lane’s Prince Albert (202) spherical prominent narrow open cone Lewis’s Incomparable spherical prominent broad closed cone (224) Loddington (226) polygonal prominent broad open cone Smart’s Prince Arthur polygonal prominent broad open funnel (290) Oblong
VERY LATE Flat Dumelow’s Seedling 149 Ontario 263 Round Crawley Beauty 136 Striped Beefing 297 Conical Howgate Wonder 198 Northern Greening 260 Oblong
- 5 - 6
Annie Elizabeth 76 Encore 157
GROUP 3: Golden skin, non striped, occasionally flushed, a few turn white when fully ripe, mainly cookers but a few are dessert i.e. most are sour tasting raw but a few are sweet and palatable, e. g. Golden Noble & Golden Spire
EARLY Flat Round Conical Lodi 227 Lord Suffield White Transparent 311 Keswick Codlin Reverend W Wilks Oblong
MID Flat Round T. 1 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Burr Knot (107) polygonal prominent broad open funnel Curl Tail (139) polygonal obscure broad open cone Galloway Pippin (169) spherical prominent broad open funnel Golden Noble (178) spherical prominent broad closed funnel Norfolk Beauty (257) polygonal prominent broad open funnel Conical T. 2 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Alderman (71) polygonal prominent broad open cone Arthur Turner (78) polygonal obscure narrow closed cone Carlisle Codlin (113) spherical prominent broad open cone Royal Jubilee (284) polygonal absent broad open funnel Oblong Greensleaves 182 Histon Favourite 192 LATE Flat Round Wyken Pippin Conical T. 5 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Calville Blanc d’Hiver polygonal prominent narrow open Cone (110) Cleopatra (125) spherical prominent broad open funnel Harvey (187) spherical absent broad Closed funnel High View pippin (191) spherical absent broad Closed funnel Landsberger Reinette (219) polygonal prominent broad Open Cone Lemon Pippin (223) polygonal prominent broad Open funnel Winter Banana (314) spherical prominent broad Open funnel Oblong Crispin 138 Golden Delicious 177 Grimes Golden
VERY LATE Flat Round Boiken Conical Oblong Bedfordshire Foundling 92 Eady’s Magnum 151
GROUP 4: Greenish-yellow skin, prominent stripes, some are flushed, smooth skinned, mainly dessert but a few are cookers. i..e most are sweet and palatable raw but a few are sour tasting, e.g. Peasgood Nonsuch & James Grieve
EARLY Flat Beauty of Bath 89 Exeter Cross 159 Owen Thomas 265 Maidstone Favourite 236 Round Advance 70 George Cave 172 Miller’s Seedling 250
- 7 - 8
Conical T. 6 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Irish Peach (201) spherical prominent broad closed variable Lady Sudely (218) spherical prominent broad closed variable Melba (241) spherical prominent broad Open cone Baker’s Delicious (82) spherical absent broad Open cone Cheddar Cross (119) spherical obscure broad closed funnel James Grieve (203) spherical obscure broad open funnel Oblong Close 126 Duchess of Oldenburg 146 Benoni 96
MID Flat Cambusnethan Pippin 112 Round T. 7 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Wealthy spherical absent broad Closed funnel Alkamene spherical get get Get funnel Cellini (116) spherical prominent narrow Open cone Chorister Boy (122) spherical obscure broad Closed cone Peasgood Nonsuch (267) spherical prominent narrow Closed funnel Coronation (130) spherical prominent narrow Open funnel Hoary Morning (193) polygonal absent broad Open funnel Rival (279) spherical obscure broad Closed funnel Conical Forge Charles Ross 118 Washington Strawberry 309 Oblong Gravenstein 181
LATE Flat Round T. 8 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Chiver’s Delight (121) spherical prominent broad Open variable Elstar (302) spherical prominent broad Open variable Rome Beauty (280) spherical prominent broad Open variable Pink Lady Fuji funnel Fiesta cone Conical Joybells 207 King of Tompkins County 215 Oblong Spigold 293
VERY LATE Flat Wagener Round Dutch Mignonne 150 King George V 213 Conical Upton Pine 306 as Upton Pyne Hambledon Deux Ans 186 Braeburn Oblong Delicious 141
GROUP 5: Continuous dark red skin, occasionally obscurely striped, smooth skinned, mainly dessert i.e most are sweet and palatable raw but a few are cookers and sour tasting raw e.g Baumann’s Reinette & Worcester Pearmain
EARLY Flat Devonshire Quarrenden 143 Discovery 145 Ben’s Red 97 Duchess’s Favourite 147 Round T. 9 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Red Astrachan (273) polygonal prominent broad closed cone Stark’s Earliest (294) spherical prominent broad open variable Merton Beauty (244) spherical absent broad closed funnel Merton Knave (247) spherical prominent broad open cone Tydeman’s Early (304) spherical prominent broad open cone Conical T. 10 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Gladstone (174) polygonal prominent broad closed cone Langley Pippin (221) spherical obscure broad open funnel Crimson Queening (137) polygonal prominent broad closed funnel Katy (208) spherical obscure broad closed cone Merton Worcester (248) spherical obscure narrow closed funnel Worcester Pearmain (317) spherical prominent broad closed funnel Oblong
MID Flat Guelph 185
- 9 - 10
Round T. 11 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Cortland (131) polygonal prominent broad Open Funnel Fameuse (161) spherical obscure broad Open Lobo (225) spherical prominent broad Open Cone Gascoyne’s Scarlet (170) polygonal prominent broad Open Cone Ingrid Marie (200) spherical prominent broad Open Cone McIntosh (240) polygonal prominent broad Open Cone Michaelmas Red (249) spherical prominent Broad Open cone Reinette Rouge Etoilee spherical prominent broad closed cone (275) Wolf River polygonal prominent broad Open cone Conical T. 12 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Herring’s Pippin (189) polygonal absent narrow closed cone Summerred (299) polygonal prominent broad Open funnel Millicent Barnes (251) spherical obscure broad closed cone Mother (253) polygonal prominent broad Open variable Norfolk Royal (259) spherical obscure narrow closed funnel Oblong Madresfield Court 235
LATE Flat Herefordshire Beefing 188 Mere de Menage 243 Round Baumann’s Reinette 87 Spartan 291 Baxter’s Pearmain 88 Conical T. 13 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Beauty of Hants (90) spherical prominent broad Open cone Blue Pearmain (101) spherical prominent broad closed cone Cornish Aromatic (128) polygonal prominent narrow closed cone Northern Spy (261) polygonal prominent broad Open funnel Star of Devon (295) spherical absent broad Open cone William Crump (312) polygonal prominent broad open funnel Oblong Gala Jonathan Spencer Calville Rouge d’Hiver 111
VERY LATE Flat Idared 199 Round Baldwin 83 John Standish 204 Jonagold 205 Norfolk Beefing 258 Democrat 142 Conical Melrose 242 Oblong Gloster 69 176
GROUP 6: Green skin, smooth skinned, dessert i.e. sweet and palatable raw, e.g Granny Smith
EARLY Flat Round Conical Oblong
MID Flat Round Conical Oblong
LATE Flat Round Bascombe Mystery 86 Conical Oblong
VERY LATE Flat Round Newtown Pippin 255 Granny Smith 180 Conical Oblong Sturmer Pippin 298
- 11 - 12
GROUP 7: Discontinuous red skin, discontinuously russeted skin, dessert i.e. all are sweet and palatable raw eg Cox’s Orange Pippin & Blenheim Orange
EARLY Flat Round Beeley Pippin 93 Epicure 158 Merton Charm 245 Saint Everard 287 Conical Exquisite 160 Fortune 164 Kerry Pippin 210 Merton Joy 246 Oblong
MID Flat Round Ellison’s Orange 156 Lord Lambourne 232 Sunset 300 Conical AutumnPearmain Pearl 266 Allington Pippin 75 Carswell’s Orange Margil 238 Oblong George Carpenter 171 King of the Pippins 214
LATE Flat Fearn’s Pippin 162 Heusgen’s Golden Reinette 190 Round T. 14 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Blenheim Orange (100) spherical absent broad open variable Houblon (197) spherical prominent broad open funnel Orleans Reinette (264) spherical prominent narrow closed funnel Barnack Orange (85) spherical absent broad open variable Ross Nonpareil (282) spherical prominent broad closed cone Suntan (301) spherical prominent broad closed funnel Saltcote Pippin (288) spherical absent narrow open cone Conical T. 15 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Ard Cairn Russett (77) polygonal absent broad open funnel Christmas Pearmain (123) polygonal prominent narrow open funnel Cox’s Orange Pippin (134) spherical absent narrow closed funnel Mabbott’s Pearmain (233) spherical prominent narrow closed variable Ribston Pippin (278) polygonal prominent narrow closed variable Holstein (194) spherical absent broad open funnel Kidd’s Orange Red (212) polygonal obscure broad open funnel Laxton’s Superb (222) spherical prominent narrow open cone Mannington Pearmain spherical prominent narrow closed variable (237) Rosemary Russett (281) polygonal prominent narrow open funnel Saint Cecilia (285) spherical prominent broad closed funnel Bess Pool (98) polygonal absent broad closed funnel Claygate Pearmain (124) spherical absent narrow closed cone Oblong T. 16 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Lady Henniker (217) polygonal obscure narrow open variable Adam’s Pearmain (69) spherical prominent broad open funnel Barnack Beauty (84) spherical obscure broad closed funnel Bow Hill Pippin (103) polygonal prominent broad open cone Cornish Gilliflower (129) polygonal obscure broad open variable Roundway Magnum Bonum polygonal obscure narrow open cone (283)
VERY LATE Flat Court Pendu Plat 133 Pixie 270 Allen’s Everlasting 74 May Queen 239 Round Lord Burghley 228 Conical T. 17 Shape Lenticels Carpel Carpel Calyx spherical prominent Breadth Closure Cavity or or broad or open or funnel or polygonal obscure- narrow closed cone absent Belle de Boskoop (94) polygonal absent broad open variable Kent (209) spherical obscure narrow closed funnel King’s Acre Pippin (216) polygonal prominent broad open variable Lord Hindlip (231) polygonal obscure broad open funnel Tydeman’s Late Orange spherical absent broad closed cone (305) Winston (313) spherical prominent broad open funnel Oblong
- 13 - 14
GROUP 8: Continuously russeted skin, no stripes, occasional flush, dessert i.e. all are sweet and palatable raw, eg Egremont Russet
EARLY Flat Round Conical Oblong
MID Flat Round Saint Edmund’s Pippin 286 Egremont Russet 155 Conical Oblong Pitmaston Pineapple269 as Pitmaston Pine Apple
LATE Flat Round Ashmead’s Kernel 80 Nonpareil 256 Conical Cockle Pippin 127 Zabergau Renette 320 Oblong Pine Golden Pippin 268
VERY LATE Flat Round Brownlee’s Russet 106 Duke of Devonshire 148 Conical Nutmeg Pippin 262 Reinette du Canada 274 Oblong D’Arcy Spice 140