A pearmain, also formerly spelled "permain", is a type of apple. The name may once have been applied to a particular variety of apple that kept well, although in more modern times its inclusion in varietal names was, like the term 'Pippin', "largely decoration"[1] rather than indicating any shared qualities.
The original 'Pearmain' variety has not been conclusively identified and may now be extinct.
- ^ Smith, A. W. (1963) A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p.40