Mistaken Identity: Correcting the Conflation of Malus ‘Virginia Crab’ (Foster) with Malus ‘Hughes Virginia Crab’
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71318/13n1y276Keywords:
germplasm, cultivars in circulation, cultivar, hard cider, heirloom varietyAbstract
Genetic analysis of Malus ‘Virginia Crab’ (PI 589324) has revealed this widely plantedcrabapple to be a triploid hybrid of Malus ‘Manchurian’ (PI 588989) and an unknown second parent. The ‘Virginia’ crabapple (PI 589324) has widely been assumed to be synonymous with ‘Hughes’ or ‘Hewes’ crabapple of Virginian origin, historically revered for cidermaking in America since the early eighteenth century. The authors present phenotypic, genetic, and historical evidence that ‘Virginia Crab’ and ‘Hughes Virginia Crab’ represent two distinct genotypes. We propose renaming PI 589324 ‘Foster’s Virginia Crab’ to avoid future conflation. It is unclear at this time if the true-to-type ‘Hughes Virginia Crab’ is still extant, and if so, where it is held.
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