"TheGardener" wrote in message
...

"The Hoopeses" wrote in message
...

"TheGardener" wrote in message
...
I've recently begun to walk a different route into town, and have come
across some very weird fruit which has fallen from a tree along the
way.
Of
course, it could be very common, but I've never seen it before, and a
look
through all my gardening books has come up with nothing.

The fruit is apple-like in shape, about the size of a Golden Delicious
apple. However, the skin is hard and knobbly, lime green, turning to
yellow,
with a few brown bristles here and there. It smells vaguely
unpleasant,
but
when cut, the smell is more fruity, but not like an apple smell. When
cut
or
bruised, the sap is latex-like, and very sticky, like glue. There are
no
seeds of any description inside. The tree itself is medium-sized, but
has
leaves more like an almond or sloe than an apple. The bark too is more
like
an almond than an apple. I've never in more than 50 years seen
anything
like
this. As it has no seeds, how is it propagated? What fruit is it?
Pictures
and more info are posted on my website, he
www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/fruit.html.

If anyone can identify what fruit it is, I would be very grateful, as
it's
driving me mad!

************************************************
Chrissie
http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk

************************************************



Hi! This is my first time posting here. It looks like what you have is
an
Osage Orange. Check out this website:

http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm

Hope this helps.

-
Al

Hi Al, welcome to URG! Wow, I didn't expect a result as quickly as this!
Yes, the tree is indeed an Osage Orange. I did a double check on Google
Images, and it is definitely the one. I've never heard of this tree, but
I'm a lot wiser now, thanks to you! Only disappointment is that there is
obviously not a male plant around, as the fruits contain no seeds. I
would
have loved to grow one of these, the fruits are very decorative. It would
be hard to sneak a cutting as the tree grows within a high fence, and I'm
not into trespassing!

Anyway, I can sleep at night now........

Why don't you have a word with the owner?

Franz