Apple tree: Caudle cultivar

#The subject plant is a new and distinct variety of apple tree that was discovered as a chance seedling of unknown parentage in the orchard of Darrel and Marilynn Caudle in Dryden, Wash. The original tree was found in a block of Red Delicious apple trees with Golden Delicious pollenizers in the same orchard. This new variety has been asexually reproduced, by bark graft and budding, and fruited through three successive generations in the discoverers' orchard. The characteristics of this variety have remained the same through three generations. The varietal name "Caudle Cultivar" is proposed for the subject apple tree.

#This new variety of apple tree is distinguished from other known varieties by its fruit, which has a color pattern of red striping over a greenish-yellow background. The green-yellow ground color is identified, using Ridgeway's Color Standards and Nomenclature, as Plate V, color number 27 GY, Tone F Pale Green Yellow. The stripe color pattern varies between Nopal Red (Plate 1, color number 3 O-R, Tone I) to Ox Blood Red (Plate 1, color number 1 Red, Tone K). The lenticels on the apple are numerous, of medium size, the characteristically colored Sea Foam Yellow (Plate XXXI, color number 25 YGY, Tone F). The fruit generally resembles a Red Delicious apple in shape but is more roundish to conical; in addition, the five points, or lobes, are not as prominent as those of a Red Delicious Apple. The fruit stem of the new variety is slender and unusually long, typically one and one-half to one and three-quarters inches in length. These distinctive characteristics are all shown in FIG. 1.

#This new variety is further distinguishable by its large leaves. As shown in FIG. 2, the leaf is larger than those of Red Delicious and Golden Delicious leaves.

#FIG. 1 shows three typical specimens of mature fruit from the Caudle Tree positioned such that the blossom end, stem end, and side view are revealed to reflect fruit shape.

#FIG. 2 depicts representative leaves from "Red Delicious," "Yellow Delicious," and "Caudle," respectively.

#FIG. 3 illustrates the distinctive bore shoot of this tree in early season.

#Growth form: This new variety of apple tree has been observed growing on the following root stocks: seedling root stock, EMLA 111, and Malling 9 (NAKB 337). The subject trees are vigorous and tall, with a spreading, open growth form. Tree size of the original specimen at age 10 years is about 11 feet wide and 14 feet tall. Average terminal growth each year is approximately 14 to 20 inches. The trunk is medium (neither stocky nor slender), with smooth bark. The branches are medium (as opposed to slender or thick) and generally straight. The subject tree does not exhibit a propensity to form spurs; the spur branching characteristics are similar to a standard Golden Delicious tree. The bark of young trees is not a dark as that of Red Delicious trees but darker than the bark of Golden Delicious trees of comparable age. The color of one-year dormant wood is Dark Corinthian Purple (Plate XXXVIII-m). The mature bark is characteristically dull. Tree lenticels are numerous and of medium size. Lenticels on three-year-old wood are more horizontal than those on a standard Golden Delicious tree, which has lenticels that are more round in shape. The straight branchles tend to be medium-jointed with some zigzagging tendency observed. The epidermis is smooth and dull. Internodes are of medium length, about one to one and one-half inches, similar to standard Golden Delicious trees. Crotch angles are from about 30 to about 45 degrees from vertical.

#Leaves: Buds are medium in size and length, and pointed (similar to Golden Delicious). Leaf scars are prominent, similar to Bisbee Red Delicious trees. The ovate leaves are distictively large: approximagely five and one-half inches in length and two and three-quarters inch wide. The leaves are thick, medium green in color (Ackermann's Green, Plate XVIII-k), and smooth. The color of the primary vein on the front side of the leaf is Light Grape (Plate XLI-b). The leaf margin is coarsely serrated. The petiole is of medium length (about one and one-half to about one and three-quarters inches) and thickness. The tomentum of the leaf blades are less pubescent than standard Golden Delicious leaves, and extremely less pubescent than Bisbee Red Delicious leaves.

#Flowers: The subject tree is characterized by large, showy flowers (FIG. 3). The closed flower is pink on the outside of the petals but opens to a mostly white flower. The flowers are fertile (i.e., self-fertile and will cross pollinate) and are generally distributed uniformly on the tree. If seed number is reduced without pollination, correspondingly size, type-length diameter ratio is affected, resulting in rounder fruit. The flower clusters are loosely arranged. The date of bloom is typically the same as adjacent Golden Delicious trees and follows that of adjacent Red Delicious trees by one day or so.