MAMIE ROSS
Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading to somewhat drooping, open-topped, hardy, productive; trunk thick, smooth; branches stocky, smooth, reddish-brown with light ash-gray; branchlets very long, with long internodes, dark red with considerable olive-green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous conspicuous, raised lenticels variable in size.
Leaves six and three-fourths inches long, one and three-fourths inches wide, variable in position, oval to obovate-lanceolate, thick, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth becoming rugose along the midrib; lower surface grayish-green; margin finely serrate, tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, with none to five small, globose and reniform, reddish-brown glands variable in position.
Flower-buds semi-hardy, obtuse to pointed, plump, heavily pubescent, free or appressed; blossoms open early; flowers one and three-fourths inches across, pink, single; pedicels very short, medium to thick, glabrous, green; calyx-tube reddish-green at the base, greenish-yellow within, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes acute or obtuse, glabrous within, heavily pubescent without; petals oval to obovate, entire except near the base, tapering to narrow claws often red at the base; filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the petals; pistil pubescent at the base, equal to the stamens in length.
Fruit matures in early mid-season; two and one-half inches long, two and seven-eighths inches wide, roundish-oval to oblong, often bulged on one side, compressed, usually with sides equal; cavity deep, abrupt, often marked with streaks of red; suture variable in depth; apex small, mucronate, set in a slight depression; color pale yellowish-cream, with more or less dull or bright red in which are splashes of darker red; pubescence short, fine, thick; skin thin, tough, separates from the pulp; flesh white, streaked with red near the pit, very juicy, stringy, tender, melting, sweet or somewhat sprightly, pleasantly flavored; good in quality; stone semi-cling or cling, one and five-eighths inches long, one inch wide, ovate to long-elliptical, plump, long-pointed, bulged on one side, with pitted and grooved surfaces; ventral suture deeply grooved along the edges, narrow, winged; dorsal suture grooved.
MAY LEE
1. Del. Sta. Rpt. 13:105. 1901. 2. Stark Bros. Cat. fig. 1904. 3. Ibid. 62 fig. 4, 63. 1910.
May Lee is a very early white-fleshed, clingstone, pink-cheeked peach introduced to rival Alexander, Triumph and other extra early sorts. It fails, on the Station grounds at least, because the peaches run small, the flesh clings too tenaciously and the stones crack. Neither is the fruit attractive in color nor high in quality. It may be as good in quality as Alexander or Triumph but is no better. The variety is but doubtfully worth planting in New York.
May Lee originated with E. W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, Texas, from a seed of Mamie Ross planted in 1896.
MAY LEE
Tree large, spreading, low-growing, very productive; trunk thick, smooth; branches stocky, smooth, reddish-brown with light ash-gray; branchlets slender, often inclined to rebranch, medium to long, with internodes dark pinkish-red intermingled with olive-green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous conspicuous, raised lenticels medium in size.
Leaves six and one-half inches long, one and three-fourths inches wide, flattened or curled downward, oval to obovate-lanceolate, rather thick, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth becoming rugose along the midrib; margin crenate, tipped with small, reddish glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, glandless or with one to five large, reniform glands variable in color and position.
Flower-buds hardy, small, short, conical, plump, very pubescent, appressed or free; blossoms open in mid-season; flowers nearly two inches across, light pink; pedicels very short, of medium thickness, glabrous; calyx-tube greenish-red, campanulate; calyx-lobes obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals round or broadly ovate, notched near the base, tapering to claws red at the base; filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the petals; pistil pubescent at the ovary, longer than the stamens.
Fruit matures early; about two and three-fourths inches in diameter, round, compressed, bulged along one size, with unequal halves; cavity deep, narrow, abrupt; suture variable in depth, extending beyond the tip; apex small, mucronate, depressed; color creamy-white, usually with a blush toward the apex; tomentose; skin thick, tough, semi-free to free; flesh white, very juicy, tender and melting, sweet, mild, pleasantly flavored; good in quality; stone semi-clinging to clinging, one and nine-sixteenths inches long, one and one-eighth inches wide, oval, conspicuously winged, flattened near the base, with deeply grooved surfaces; ventral suture thin, winged, very deeply grooved along the edges; dorsal suture grooved.