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APPLE Descriptor Form
(Form created by Seeds of Diversity Canada for The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security.)
Please observe a few typical apple trees that are similar in age and condition. If you have different-aged trees of the same
variety, please use a separate form for different age groups.
If you cannot answer any of these questions, just leave them blank
For questions asking for averages, please take 10 measurements from different plants. See chart on last page.
Variety name
____________________
Observer
____________________
Location
____________________
Sample size
[ ] Variety name is unknown
Approximately how many trees are you observing for the purposes of this form? ________
Dates
Date of first leaf appearance?
____________________
Date when the first flowers opened?
____________________
Date when the first fruit ripened?
____________________
General
On average, approximately how many years old are the tree(s)?
________
What is the general condition of the tree(s) (please use a separate form for groups of trees of different condition)?
healthy, cropping well
mature, vigorous
old, declining
healthy, cropping poorly
mature, non-vigorous
dying
non-bearing
mature, diseased
Spring
How cold-hardy does this variety seem?
extremely hardy
hardy
intermediate
tender
extremely tender
What is the main growth habit (shape) of this variety?
extremely upright
upright
spreading
drooping
weeping
How vigorous does this variety seem?
extremely vigorous
vigorous
intermediate
weak
extremely weak
Flowers
When do the tree(s) flower, compared to other typical varieties?
extremely early
very early
early
intermediate
late
very late
extremely late
Approximately how many days did the tree(s) remain in flower (answer only if older than 4 years)?
________
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Do the tree(s) flower every year, or irregularly?
every year
almost every year
regularly every other year (biennial)
irregularly, some years but no pattern
extremely irregularly
Does this variety have a definite second period of flowering in the same season?
nearly always
frequently
sometimes
rarely
very rarely
Is the variety self-compatible, i.e. can it pollinate itself?
extremely
very good
good
intermediate
poor
very poor
incompatible
What colour are the flowers at full bloom?
white
pink
white-pink
white-green
white-pink and red
white-pink and purple
pink-red pink-purple
purple-white
red-purple
green
black-purple
What colour are the anthers (pollen-bearing structures at the center of the flower) before pollen is released?
white
orange-yellow
white-yellow
orange
white-pink
pink
yellow
pink-red red
yellow-purple
purple
Cut the base of a flower in cross-section. What shape do you see inside?
closed star shape
open star shape, not joined
What is the average diameter of the flowers, at full bloom (mm)?
How many flowers emerge from each flower bud, on average?
both open and closed
________
_______
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Leaves (Mid summer)
How fuzzy are the leaves, especially on the underside?
How long are the leaves, on average (mm)?
smooth, no hairs visible
slightly fuzzy
fuzzy
________
What shape are the leaves? (look at leaves in the middle section of a
shoot, not at the tip)
round
ellipse
wide ellipse
egg-shaped
wide egg-shaped
narrow ellipse
long ellipse
wider at tip
long egg-shaped
Do the leaves have lobes (a wavy shape on the edges)?
not lobed
partly lobed
fully lobed
Fruit
What shape are the apples?
globose-conical
short-globose-conical
flat
flat-globose (oblate)
conical
intermediate-conical
ellipsoid
ellipsoid-conical (ovate)
oblong
oblong-conical
oblong-waisted
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Viewed from the top, are the apples round or do they have angular bumps?
Round
Angular Bumps
Do the fruit tend to drop by themselves or stay on the tree?
drop before mature
hold until mature, then drop
hold on the tree well into winter
How early or late do the apples ripen, compared with other typical varieties?
very early
early
mid-season
late
very late
How large are the fruit compared with typical commercial apples?
very small
small
medium
large
very large
Apple skin colour is often made up of two layers: an underlying "ground colour" that appears first, and an "over colour"
that usually appears when the fruit ripens.
e.g. Golden Delicious has an even yellow ground colour, sometimes with a blush of pink over colour.
e.g. Gala has an underlying yellow-orange ground colour, often with stripes of red over colour.
e.g. McIntosh has an underlying green ground colour with a large splash of red over colour.
What is the ground colour of the apple skin when fully ripe?
red
orange
cream-white
yellow
green-yellow
green
What is the over colour of the apple skin when fully ripe?
orange
pink
red
dark red
purple
brown
What is the pattern of over colour when fully ripe?
striped
slightly blushed
streaked
mottled
splashed
washed-out (faded)
complete coverage
Many apples have a natural wax (called bloom) on the skin of the mature fruit. Rate the amount of wax on this variety.
none
slightly waxy
moderately waxy
very waxy
Do the apples bruise easily when fully ripe?
bruise very easily
bruise easily
intermediate
resistant to bruising
very resistant to bruising
Cut a ripe apple in cross-section. In most common varieties you would see a five-sectioned star shape in the apple core.
How many sections does this variety have? ________
What colour is the apple's interior flesh when fully ripe?
green
white
pink
red
yellow
orange
Rate the firmness of the apple's interior flesh when fully ripe.
soft
semifirm
firm
hard
Rate the texture of the apple's interior flesh when fully ripe
extremely coarse
coarse
intermediate
fine
extremely fine
What flavour best describes this variety when fully ripe?
aromatic
sweet
subacid (mildly tart)
acid (tart)
astringent (very sour)
What colour are the seeds when the apple is fully ripe?
brown
light brown
dark brown
black brown
red brown
gray brown
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What is the weight of one hundred seeds in grams?
________
What is the total weight of seeds harvested from planted population?
________
Disease
Are there any signs of disease on the plants or fruit? (If so please take a picture and include a brief
description)
Yes (picture)
No
Based on your knowledge and growing experience please rate this variety on the following characteristics on
a scale from 1-5 (1 being very poor, 5 being excellent)
Productivity
Uniformity of fruits
Flavour
Disease resistance
Uniformity of fruit size
Uniformity of fruit shape
Suitability for your location/climate
General customer appeal
Efficiency of harvesting
Storage quality
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Would you want to grow this variety again?
Yes
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
No
Please list any pros/cons related to growing this variety.
Pros
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
Cons
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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Measurement Chart
1
Days Trees in Flower
Diameter of Flowers
Leaf Length
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Please write any notes or special observations that you would like to mention. Thank you for your help!