I’ve never seen leaves like this?
@thepodpiper
It is likely a fig, although the pink lighting doesn’t help. The leaf shapes are plausible for new sprouts under indoor lighting.
The name appears to be a distortion of Sal’s EL, which in turn is a synonym of Sicilian White.
There are several cultivar names incorporating “Sal’s”. Over the decades, these have become confused by amateur sellers. Thus, obtaining a specific one can be a matter of trial and error.
4 Likes
leaves of juvenile ficus palmata tend to have pronounced scalloping… ficus palmata on inaturalist.
Ficus palmata is a category containing two subspecies: F.p. palmata and F.p. virgata. The former is endemic to northeast Africa, the latter to the India subcontinent and its perimeter. It is an error to confuse them.
This is not a viable source of plant morphology or ID.
1 Like
They are stating that it is a Sal’s variety given the info aboe is that still a possibility?
@thepodpiper
Looking at the seller’s Facebook pages, she has a collection of perhaps a half dozen figs in 10-15 gallon pots. She is also an accomplished gardener. I’ll speculate that the plant for sale is an airlayer from one of those pictured in the link. There is no information to confirm or deny its identity.
1 Like
can just ask her if shes fruited it herself and if its from cutting or airlayer
@thepodpiper
Sal was a fig collector in the prior century. Some of his collection was obtained by the infamous nursery Edible Landscaping. These were sold as Sal’s White Sicilian, Sal’s Corleone, etc.
Other fig collectors also acquired portions of Sal’s collection – directly from Sal. At that time, it was common among collectors to place the initials of sources at the end of a cultivar name. Thus, by the turn of the century there were cultivars named Sal’s White Sicilian BC, Sal’s White Sicilian EL, etc.
Within a few years, a seller shortened the latter to Sal’s EL, creating much confusion. Then in 2006, USDA Davis received a different cultivar from Sal’s collection, which they inexplicably recorded as “Sal’s” (accession DFIC 243, no longer available). Collectors and sellers who obtained cuttings of this specimen then redistributed it under this name and a variety of creative alternatives.
Consequently, all fig specimen labels that include the word “Sals” or “Sal’s” are suspicious. They are typically above average in fruit quality, and vary across a few flavors. Across a 5 year survey of figbid sales, they rank 200 to 300 out of 1900.
2 Likes