Dwarf Apples. 383 



The Paradise apple. — Early botanists considered as different 

 species many forms of apples which are at present recognized as 

 mere varieties of one species. The Paradise apple, as now known, 

 is probably similar to the plant described by Bauhin as Mains 

 pumila, ''whose fruit is the apple of Adam."* It was said to bear 

 both red and white fruits. Linnaeus classed it as Pyrus Malus, 

 var. Paradisiaca,-\ while Roemer called it Malus Paradisiaca.t 

 The plant is distinguished, aside from dwarfness, according to 

 Koch, by its smooth, shiny branches, both the old and the newly 

 matured wood having a dark brown color. The leaves are finely 

 serrated and taper at both ends. One of the most important char- 

 acters of this apple as well as other dwarf forms, is the produc- 

 tion of underground stems, and of stolons by means of which the 

 plant may be rapidly propagated. These forms are also easily 

 grown from cuttings, in which they differ from most strong grow- 

 ing varieties. In southern Europe, and especially in France, the 

 roots are said to be extremely brittle, although in northern Ger- 

 many this character is not always very marked. The fruit as a 

 rule is small with a yellow skin and white flesh; it generally 

 ripens during late summer or early fall. 



Bauhin mentions two explanations for the origin of the com- 

 mon names of this variety. || They are not entirely satisfactory, 

 but the first probably contains a hint of the truth. He says: 

 '' Tragus, who describes the Argentinse, describes certain kinds 

 of apples from Germany. Some are sweet, white, oblong, etc., 

 and are called Paradise apple. It is seen that Tragus, according 

 to the common opinion, believed that this apple is from the tree 



* 1. " Malus pumila, que potius frutex qn& arbor. 

 Mala prsecocia, Trag. Tab. 

 Malus humilus, cujus fructus poraiim Adami. 

 Gesn. Hort." [Py. and g. malus paradisiana]. 

 " Frnit both red and wbite " 



The name in the brackets has been written in the volume of Bauhiu's 

 Piuax owned by Harvard Uaiversity. The writing is old and whose it is has 

 not been determined. The copy at the congressional library at Washington 

 contains no specific mention of the Paradise apple. 

 t "Species Plantarum," 1753, 479. 

 t " Synopses MonographicsB," iii, 1847, 195. 

 II "Historise Plantarum Universalis," i, 1650, 7. 



