'Alkmene' is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

of domesticated

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

, also called 'Early Windsor'. Two natural mutations (

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

) of this cultivar that have red-skinned fruit have been selected: one called 'Red Alkmene' was trademarked under the name of Red Windsor; the other is 'Ceeval'. It was developed between the years 1900 and 1949, by the

Kaiser Wilhelm Institute The Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Advancement of Science (German: ''Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften'') was a German scientific institution established in the German Empire in 1911. Its functions were taken over by ...

Alkeme
at Orange Pippin in Müncheberg, Germany,Alkmene
by Salt Spring Apple Company by crossing the two cultivars '

Cox's Orange Pippin Cox's Orange Pippin, in Britain often referred to simply as Cox, is an apple cultivar first grown in 1825, at Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire, England, by the retired brewer and horticulturist Richard Cox. Though the parentage of the cultivar i ...

' and 'Duchess of Oldenburg'. The result is an early harvest apple (early mid season), which is very attractive, with a honeyed flavor similar to Cox's but slightly sharper. Its main use is for fresh eating. 'Alkmene' flowers early mid season, with self-fertile blossoms, hence no cross pollination is needed. Fruit size is medium and variable, flesh color is yellowish or extremely yellow for an apple, skin has greenish-yellow background with orange-reddish flush and strong red strips. The 'Red Windsor' cultivar has a larger portion of red. It is resistant to

apple scab Apple scab is a common disease of plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) that is caused by the ascomycete fungus ''Venturia inaequalis''. While this disease affects several plant genera, including ''Sorbus, Cotoneaster,'' and ''Pyrus'', it is mos ...

and susceptible to blossom frost. 'Alkmene' was awarded the

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

by the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

in 1998.

References

Apple cultivars Alkmene German apples {{apple-fruit-stub