Apple Pink-striped Anise

A cultivar of folk selection. This is a pink-striped clone of Anise striatum (gray). In the description by Pashkevich V. V. (Fruit Growing, 1908), century-old Anise trees are mentioned, therefore, in the early 19th century, i.e., in 1808, it was already used in the gardens of the Volga region, especially in the Saratov Governorate. In 1967, participants of the Plenum of VASKHNIL in the village of Alexeyevka, Saratov region, were shown 200-year-old trees of pink-striped Anise. Due to the diversity of many different forms of this cultivar type, the Saratov Governorate can be considered one of the centers of origin of Anise. In the past century, this cultivar was included in the regional cultivar lists of all areas of Central Russia, the Volga, and the Urals, and it was used for trailing culture in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, Omsk, and Vologda regions.

The tree is vigorous, with a broad-pyramidal crown in youth, and an inverted-conical shape upon entering fruiting. The crown has medium density, becoming more open with age; skeletal branches are straight or slightly curved, branching off the leader at a 45º angle. Fruit set is primarily concentrated on the buds.

Shoots are brown, of medium length and thickness, straight or slightly curved, moderately pubescent, with few small, oval-shaped buds. Buds are small and of medium size, narrowly conical, with moderate, woolly pubescence.

Leaves are of medium size, round or round-oval in shape, dark green, wrinkled, shiny, with medium curvature and complexity, and weakly curled. Pubescence on the underside is weakly woolly. Leaf apex is rounded with a smoothly tapering tip. Base is rounded. Leaf margin is wavy, fine and coarse single, but more often double-toothed.

Buds are white with a pinkish tinge, of medium size. Flowers are white. Flower shape is broad-cupped. Petals are round with a small claw. Stigma style is heavily pubescent. Stigmas are positioned above the anthers.

Fruits (see illustration) differ from those of Anise striatum only in having a more pronounced blush.

Fruits are of medium size, weighing 70 g, relatively uniform, flat-round in shape, moderately flattened, with a slightly pronounced cone toward the calyx, weakly ribbed. Main color is yellow-green, turning to light-yellow upon full ripening, with more than half of the surface covered with a delicate, pinkish blush, with red streaks. Color is delicate and beautiful, with a strong bluish, waxy bloom. On the fruit surface, subcutaneous white spots are visible, of medium size, slightly noticeable in the halo. Pedicel is straight, thick, short, emerging from a depression, obliquely positioned. Calyx cup is of medium depth, smooth, without rusting. Calyx cup is of medium size and depth, with small pearls. Calyx is closed, of medium size, covering a deep, conical-shaped, medium-width subcalyx tube. Seed cavity is absent, seed chambers slightly open, sometimes closed.

Flesh is greenish-white, firm, juicy, finely granular, with a pleasant sweet-sour flavor. Ripening period is late-season in the Lower Volga region. Chemical composition of the fruit: dry matter — 17.2% (maximum 18.0%), total sugars — 10.8% (11.2%), titratable acids — 0.60% (0.67%) on fresh weight, sugar-to-acid ratio — 18.2 (21.3), ascorbic acid — 8.5 mg/100g (9.3).

Cultivar is valuable for cultivation in northern areas of the Lower Volga and for breeding purposes. Fruit transportability is satisfactory.

Fruits are pleasant for fresh consumption, drying, and juice production.

Fruit production begins on the 5th-6th year, yields are abundant, reaching 40 t/ha during full fruiting, relatively regular. Cold, drought, and heat resistance — high. Cultivar is relatively resistant to fungal diseases.

Advantages of the cultivar: it exhibits ecological resilience, high cold resistance, and drought resistance. Produces regular, high yields. Long-lived trees. Relatively resistant to fungal diseases.

Fruits have dessert-like flavor, transportable, suitable for use as raw material for food industry processing and home use.

Disadvantages of the cultivar: tall trees. Small fruit size and short storage period. Storage duration is extended in refrigerated chambers.

Used in breeding for developing highly-adapted apple cultivars for the Volga region.