Here’s a topic I’d like to learn more about, and I imagine the usual suspects would too.
First a little taxonomy.
Species are defined by morphological (physical) characteristics of a wild population.
There’s a large number of varied species in the Genus Ficus, so many it is broken into sections.
The section I’m interested in is Ficus sect. Ficus. It contains these species:
Ficus carica (ordinary European figs)
Ficus carica subsp. rupestris (a shrub)
Ficus johannis subsp. johannis (from NE Turkey)
Ficus johannis subsp. afghanistanica (central Iran)
Ficus palmata (Afghanistan through India)
These species are symbiotic with the wasp B. psenes and also 3 eriophyid mites plus a fungi and a few viruses hosted by the mites.
I’d like to focus on (a) the structural differences, (b) differences in fruiting cycles or lack thereof, and (c) differences in the stamen and flower contents of their syconia.
Is each fruiting type a different species? I’m just getting into growing figs and just learning about the different names for pollination needs and not needed stuff…
No, they are all the same species. The different pollination requirements are a result of selective breeding within the same species of plants. Nearly all figs that you would buy for growing will be f. carica, or at the most, a subspecies of such. The different names for pollination requirements is to help growers know what plant is right for your area, and isn’t a taxanomical reference.
In this thread, we are discussing the species listed above. The differences between their “fruit” characteristics will be provided from published references.
This is not true in Ficus sect. Ficus.
There is a single subspecies of F. carica. It is generally not sold in the U.S.
Before charging off into discussions about the myriad sexual types of species in Ficus sect. Ficus, it is worthwhile to have an overview of seasonal variation and growth structure. Here I’m referring to specimens grown outdoors year-round. I am not referring to interspecies hybrids nor landraces (e.g. Ficus carica x sativa).
Where I state “more information is needed”, I’m referring to peer reviewed publications and scientific bulletins.
seasonal variation
Ficus carica and F.c. subsp. rupestris are deciduous, even in temperate climates (however brief). They produce up to 3 crops per year.
Ficus palmata is evergreen in temperate climates. It produces “fruit” (syconia) continuously year-round, at rates influenced by weekly weather.
Ficus johannis subsp. johannis - More information is needed. I assume it is deciduous because of its native climate.
Ficus johannis subsp. afghanistanica - More information is needed. Some of its native range is in a temperate climate.
growth structure
F. carica is a single trunk tree, but will develop multiple trunks under environmental stress. Ira Condit noted many structural variations which are summarized here.
F. carica subsp. rupestris is a multi-trunked shrub. More information is needed.
F. palmata is generally the largest and most vigorous species of Ficus sect. Ficus. It is akin to Morus alba in the mulberries.
Ficus johannis subsp. johannis - More information is needed. It is described as shrub or small tree.
Ficus johannis subsp. afghanistanica - More information is needed. It is described as shrub.
This subsection comprises three species. Ficus carica and F. palmata Forssk. are very closely related, if not conspecific (as they share the same species of Blastophaga as pollinator) and range from Afghanistan and N India to the Mediterranean and Ethiopia, respectively. The third species, F. iidaiana Wilson, is from Bonin Island. - C.C. Berg & E.J.H. Corner, Moraceae: Ficeae
from their forward…
Are all botanists crazy? I began to think that anyone who would bother with such a genus as Eugenia must be a bit off; to say nothing of those who like to play with Ficus. (from a letter of Merrill to Lam, 23 August 1949).
on one hand, we have berg and corner, two highly respected ficus taxonomists, who included f. iidaiana in the subsection ficus.
on the other hand, we have the united states department of agriculture (usda), which blocks rare fruit from being shipped from florida to california in order to protect massive monoculture crops, who excluded f. iidaiana from the subsection ficus.
Ficus carica is in transition from monoecy to dioecy
For this reason, we observe individuals with varying sexual expressions and a large vernacular has arisen to describe them. Further, humans have interrupted this transition by agriculturally isolating them and simultaneously eliminating wild (not feral) populations.
Here is a breakdown of the vernacular. Much of it is not necessary for this thread, but you are likely to encounter it elsewhere.
Caprifigs are a category of sexual expression in figs.
They are not male figs.
They contain male parts (stamens) and female parts (ova).
They have not been observed (yet) in all species of Ficus. More information is needed.
In Ficus carica Caprifigs:
Stamens occur in the first crop, a few to many in the main crop (depending on cultivar), and usually none in the third crop.
Fertile female ova are often present in the main crop, sometimes in the third crop, and void in the first crop. They are sometimes termed “long style female flowers”.
Gall flowers are present in all crops. These are symbiotic infertile ova for the purpose of concubine for the symbiotic wasps. They have no sexual function other than a vector for wasps that transport pollen. Gall flowers are sometimes termed “short style female flowers” but do not count in the identification of the sex of a Ficus individual.
A purely male Ficus would contain only stamens and gall flowers in its crops.
