Le Poirier de Bollwiller, Sorbopyrus auricularis (J. H. Knoop) C. K. Schneider: Réhabilitation d’une espèce fruitière méconnue de J. Bauhin

Abstract

The Bollwiller pear tree Sorbopyrus auricularis (J.H. Knoop) C.K. Schneider (X Sorbopyrus bollwilleriana [Linnaeus] H. Zabel), is an intergeneric hybrid between the chequer tree (Sorbus aria [C. Linnaeus] H. J. N. Crantz) and the common pear tree (Pyrus communis C. Linnaeus). A rare type of fruit-tree, it was first produced in the Gardens of the Château de Bollwiller (Haut-Rhin) in eastern France and has since only been reproduced by grafting. Only a few examples are to be found worldwide. The Bollwiller pear tree is a rare intergenic hybrid, whose genetic make-up deserves study. This article gives the tree’s nomenclature, as well as its morphology and history.