Details for: PI 617591, Pyrus sp., 'Helmer'

Summary Data

Taxonomy:

Pyrus sp.

Cultivar:

'Helmer'

Origin:

Collected – Idaho, United States

Maintained:

National Clonal Germplasm Repository

Received by NPGS:

03 Feb 1994

Improvement Status:

Clone

Form Received:

Scion

Life Form:

Tree

Life Habit:

Tree

Availability

This accession is not available. Contact site for status.

National Clonal Germplasm Repository

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Core Passport Data

Taxonomy:

Pyrus sp.

Cultivar:

'Helmer'

Origin:

Collected – Idaho, United States

Maintained:

National Clonal Germplasm Repository

Received by NPGS:

03 Feb 1994

Improvement Status:

Clone

Form Received:

Scion

Life Form:

Tree

Life Habit:

Tree

Source History

Collected

Idaho, United States
Coordinates: 47.0000, -116.5000 (Map it)
Elevation: 914m.
Habitat: Wild Habitat
Environment description: Helmer, Idaho: a town between Deary and Elk River

Collector(s):

Matuska, James

Donated

03 February 1994.
Washington, United States
Comment: Originally collected by Matuska to Purvis to NCGR-Corvallis
Donor(s):

Purvis, Robert, North American Fruit Explorers

Accession Names and Identifiers

'Helmer'

Type: Cultivar name

CPYR 2515

Type: Site identifier

Group: LOCAL

Corvallis local number

EUROPEAN CULTIVAR

Type: Site identifier

Group: CROPTYPE

Narrative

The Helmer pear was discovered growing at an old homestead in west-central Idaho, near the small community of Helmer in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The tree is noteworthy on several counts: the fruit is of good size and quality, even when grown under non-irrigated conditions; furthermore, the tree appears to be self-fertile. It was producing good crops of pears without another pear anywhere nearby. It is not a Bartlett. Jim Matuska, the former chair of the NAFEX Cherries interest group, was the one who found it and shared it with me at his home on October 1, 1989. (Jim lives in Deary, ID, about 10 miles W of Helmer and about 30 miles from the border with Washington State.) Although the tree undoubtedly survived -30F or worse in its location and was about 80 years old when Jim discovered it. Sadly, the mother tree was cut down not long after he propagated it. The Helmer pear would be worthy of trial locations with cold winter temperatures, but it is not hardy at -40F and probably not at -35F based on Bernie Nikolai's experience with it in Edmonton, Alberta. The fruit was smaller at my location in Selah than it was in Helmer or Deary; possibly it does better where the summers are cool. Jim thought that the Helmer pear was possibly 'Duchess de Montfort', but more likely it is just a seedling. -- Robert Purvis, December 2005

Pyrus spp.

Genus:

Pyrus

Family:

Rosaceae

Subfamily:

Amygdaloideae

Tribe:

Maleae

Subtribe:

Malinae

Nomen number:

300499

Comment:

catch-all record for unidentified or unnamed plants of Pyrus

Verified:

05/10/2000 by ARS Systematic Botanists.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Pyrus amygdaliformis Vill. var. persica Bornm.
Pyrus decurrens ined.?
Pyrus sorbifolia Cham. ex Spreng.

Common names

Annotations

Observations

Phenotype Data

Category	Descriptor	Description	Value	Sample Size	Study	Inventory	Availability
CYTOLOGIC	PLOIDY LEVEL	Number of sets of chromosomes.	2x - diploid		PYRUS.PLOIDY.2013	CPYR 2515 .001 PL	Not Available
DISEASE	FRUIT_SCAB	RATING OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY FRUIT SCAB	7 - (1 = NO DAMAGE, 9 = SEVERE DAMAGE)		PYRUS.CORVALLIS.2005.FRUITSCAB	CPYR 2515 .001 PL	Not Available