Is Passe Crassane pear a pear/quince hybrid?

[Fusion_power]

I bumped into something tonight that states Passe Crassane is a pear/quince hybrid.

In 1855 the nurseryman Louis Boisbunel in the Rouen region of France was successfully able to crossbred quince with pear. The resulting pear variety was named Passé Crassane, and was later used to breed many other fine tasting pear varieties. I actually have a Passé Crassane tree, by the way.

Just posting this here for a bit of discussion as the genetic boundaries between malus, pyrus, and cydonia (apple, pear, and quince) are not very wide. Crosses between malus and pyrus have been made for at least the last 70 years with some success. A recent article from Kyoto Japan highlights these crosses along with DNA proof they were successful inter-species crosses.

[Luisport]

Hi. As i know Passe Crassane is a pear, not a hybrid. I never heard anything about it.

[clarkinks]

I grew it here and it always seemed like a pear to me. It is french and it is so hard to grow they dont even grow it there much anymore. I grew 2 types of the pear. @mrsg47 would know more but they are sold there in france with the stem dipped in signature red wax. They get fireblight quickly.

The French winter pear passe-crassane

Passe-crassane pears have been on my radar since I first heard about them and I wondered if anyone has pictures and can share your experiences.

Question the History of a pear or know some history? Post it here!

PASSE CRASSANE Origin:M. Boisbunel, France, about 1845. Number one winter pear in Italy. Additional: Passe-Crassane Pear is a variety developed by M. Boisbunel which was a nurseryman from Rouen, France. The pear was first available in 1845. Little more is known about the favorite pear in France. AURORA aka (NY7620) Origin: Marguerite Marillat x Williams’, selected in 1950, named 1964, at New York Agricultural Experimental Station, Geneva, USA. BEURRÉ BOSC aka (KAISER A…

I tried it

Pears we are going to try in 2018

Derby, These are the ones I’m growing in 2018. It took me a little time to decide what I wanted to try this year. PI 131232 Pound Pyrus communis 2 count Scion COR Remove PI 131662 Passe Crassane Pyrus communis 2 count Scion COR Remove PI 131663 Passe Crassane Rouge Pyrus communis 2 count Scion COR Remove PI 224553 Sucree Rosee Pyrus communis 2 count Scion COR Remove PI 255614 Madame Boutant Pyrus communis 2 count Scion COR Remove PI 255616 Napoleon Pyrus communis 2 …

[Fusion_power]

A bit of digging around in the DNA info shows that Easter Beurre aka Doyenne d’Hiver is one parent of Passe Crassane. Interestingly, history says it is a seedling of Crassane. I see Passe Crassane in Corvalis under several different accession numbers. I don’t see Crassane. This seems to indicate a variety that is missing from Corvalis. The shape of Crassane is reflected in Passe Crassane. Both are nearly apple shaped similar to an Asian pear. However, this shape is also evident in Easter Beurre! It looks like the pear doesn’t fall far from the parent tree!

There are 3 documented bud sports of Passe Crassane: Passe Crassane Panachee, Passe Crassane Rouge, and Passe Crassane Sanguine.

I think there is a mystery here with regard to Passe Crassane. The logic is that one parent per DNA is Easter Beurre but the other parent is not identified. History of the variety says it is a seedling of Crassane. So at minimum there is a question of parentage. There is also the record stating that it is a hybrid between pyrus and cydonia. This is one question that should be relatively easy to determine. I have several clear statements that it is not a hybrid along with some historical records stating that it came from an attempted cross of pear X quince. I’d like to know both parents of the cross that led to Passe Crassane.

[mrsg47]

Hi one of its parents is Doyenne d’Hiver. It was not crossed with Quince.

Obtained by the nurseryman Louis Boisbunel (1783-1856) in Rouen

Sowing carried out in 1845 which presented a first fruiting in 1854

[clarkinks]

@mrsg47

How do you like them?

[Luisport]

Hi. If possible id like to know what results you had regarding this passe crassane varieties. Thanks!