Fig Glossary
Terminology, Abbreviations & Acronyms
In any particular field of study, there is a specific terminology (vocabulary) associated with it. Figs are no different. These terms can be a bit daunting for “newbies”. Some fig terms are even obscure to seasoned fig veterans. This glossary is designed to be a powerful resource for understanding terminology that is unique to the fig community.
Note: Use the search function to quickly go directly to your term or to find synonyms for the primary list.
s
- Spotted Wing Drosophila
Often referred to as SWD, is a fruit fly that can be very damaging to figs. Bagging figs before the flies can enter through the eyes can reduce the impact of SWD. See Drosophila suzukii.
- Spring Caprifig Crop
The second or spring caprifig crop, maturing in June in California.
- Squat
One of the fig form descriptors. Flattened at base or apex, or both. A “flattened ball” shape. Very “squat”. Wider than long. See the Fig Form Descriptions page for more information.
- Stagnant Stage
The period between the two fig growth spurts. Figs will initially have a significant growth stage, then "stall" for a month or two. Then figs will have another growth spurt that will quickly take them to the ripening stage.
- Stamen
Male organ of a flower. See the Anatomy Of A Fig page for more details.
- Stigma
- Stipules
Scale-like bracts which enclose the embryonic leaf in bud and expand as the bud opens.
- Stomata
Breathing pores.
- Strain
In the general realm of botany, the term has no official ranking status; it refers to the collective descendants produced from a common ancestor that share a uniform morphological or physiological character. A strain is a designated group of offspring that are either descended from a modified plant (produced by conventional breeding or by biotechnological means), or which result from genetic mutation. Within the fig community, the "strain" term has taken on a somewhat different additional meaning, which can be confusing. There can be numerous varieties with the same name. To distinguish between these varieties, a "strain" is appended to the end of the name. These are not just variants of the same variety, but clearly different varieties.
- Strand
The "strand" that extends from the tip of the numerous flowers contained within a fig. There are "Long" and "Short" styles. Short styles are the female flowers within the male caprifig. Long styles are the female flowers within the common type fig. The Ficus sycomorus species can have both styles within its body.
- Style
The "strand" that extends from the tip of the numerous flowers contained within a fig. There are "Long" and "Short" styles. Short styles are the female flowers within the male caprifig. Long styles are the female flowers within the common type fig. The Ficus sycomorus species can have both styles within its body.
- Sub-
Prefix meaning somewhat; nearly.
- Sub-Irrigated Planter
Often called a SIP, or sometimes called a Self-Watering Planter (SWP). SIPs can be a good means of maintaining consistent soil moisture.
- Subulate
Awl-like.
- Summer Crop
Often called the "main crop" or "summer crop", is the primary crop of figs that ripen from about mid-summer through early fall, as opposed to the earlier breba crop. Typically, the main crop is often of higher quality than the breba crop.
- SWD
Often referred to as SWD, is a fruit fly that can be very damaging to figs. Bagging figs before the flies can enter through the eyes can reduce the impact of SWD. See Drosophila suzukii.
- Syconium
Botanical name of the fig receptacle. The pith and epidermis of a fig. It is the foundation and enclosure from which the individual flowers within the fig grow.
- Sýko
An edible fig, usually Ficus carica, but can be of other species. "Fig" is often in variety names, in other languages:
- Arabic: Teen
- Catalan: Fig; plural: Figues
- Chinese: wu hua guo
- French: Figue; plural: Figues
- German: Feige; Essfeige
- Greek: Sýko; (or Siko) plural: Sýka (or Sika)
- Hebrew: Te'enah; plural: Tnm
- India (Hindi): Anjir
- Italian: Fica (feminine); Fico (masculine)
- Portuguese: Figo; plural: Figos
- Spanish: Higo; plural: Higos
- Turkish: Incir
- Symbiotic
Two organisms, living together in a mutually beneficial relationship.
- Symmetrical
Equilateral; same on both sides.
t
- Tawny
Tawny. Reddish-brown.
- Taxon
A classified biological unit.
- Taxonomy
Systematic study of individuals; classification.
- Teen
An edible fig, usually Ficus carica, but can be of other species. "Fig" is often in variety names, in other languages:
- Arabic: Teen
- Catalan: Fig; plural: Figues
- Chinese: wu hua guo
- French: Figue; plural: Figues
- German: Feige; Essfeige
- Greek: Sýko; (or Siko) plural: Sýka (or Sika)
- Hebrew: Te'enah; plural: Tnm
- India (Hindi): Anjir
- Italian: Fica (feminine); Fico (masculine)
- Portuguese: Figo; plural: Figos
- Spanish: Higo; plural: Higos
- Turkish: Incir
- Te.enah
An edible fig, usually Ficus carica, but can be of other species. "Fig" is often in variety names, in other languages:
- Arabic: Teen
- Catalan: Fig; plural: Figues
- Chinese: wu hua guo
- French: Figue; plural: Figues
- German: Feige; Essfeige
- Greek: Sýko; (or Siko) plural: Sýka (or Sika)
- Hebrew: Te'enah; plural: Tnm
- India (Hindi): Anjir
- Italian: Fica (feminine); Fico (masculine)
- Portuguese: Figo; plural: Figos
- Spanish: Higo; plural: Higos
- Turkish: Incir
- Terete
Round; cylindrical and tapering in cross-section.
- Tessellated
Surface with checkered patterns.
- Testa
The hard, external coating of a seed; the testa.
- The Fig by Ira J. Condit
The Fig by Ira J. Condit. Published by the Chronica Botanica Co. in 1947.
- The Fig Hunter
David Burke, "The Fig Hunter", along with his family, has become well-known in the fig community for his numerous new ortet fig variety finds in California.
- The Fig: Its History, Culture, and Curing
The book, The Fig: Its History, Culture, and Curing With A Descriptive Catalogue Of The Known Varieties Of Figs by Gustav Eisen, published in 1901, was a precursor to Ira J. Condit's later work, Fig Varieties: A Monograph. In it, Condit referenced Eisen's work extensively.
- Thierry Demarquest
A french web site, meaning Figs of The World. It is maintained by Thierry Demarquest, who has long been known as a fig collector in Europe, and now in the US. His collection, nursery, and orchard touts over 600 varieties from around the globe.
- Third Caprifig Crop
The third caprifig crop, maturing in late summer in California.
- Tissue Culture
Often abbreviated as "TC", is an alternative to rooting propagation that produces seedling like trees, but maintains the genetics of the mother tree like cutting propagation. Many TC fig trees in the US are produced by AgriStarts and distributed through many nurseries. TC fig trees often take longer to establish and produce figs than rooted cuttings. However, there is some evidence that suggests that TC trees can build better "tap roots" over time, compared to rooted cuttings.
- Tomentose
Covered with soft, woolly hairs, as in a tomentum.
- Tomentum
A mass of filamentous hairs on the leaf of a plant.
- Trifera
A fig variety that produces three crops:
- The early Breba Crop in late spring/early summer
- A Pedagnuoli Crop: a first main crop in summer
- And the Cimaruoli Crop: a late main crop in the fall
- Truncate
Cut off squarely.
- Tuberculate
Bearing excrescences, pimples, or warty growths.
- Tufted
Closely bunched, as hairs on a stem or leaf.
- Turbinate
One of the fig form descriptors. Sometimes described as a “spinning top”, "top-shaped", or “cone”. See the Fig Form Descriptions page for more information.
u
- UCD
University of California, Davis: Fig varieties and/or strains considered to be from UCD often contain the UCD suffix. For example, Black Madeira (UCD). However, this is something of a misnomer, and not technically correct, since UCD does not actually have any fig trees. A plot of the UCD Wolfskill Experimental Orchard is leased to the USDA, which actually maintains its fig genetics repository there. So some have started replacing the UCD suffix with the more technically accurate USDA suffix. In the case of these identifying suffixes, they have become de facto synonyms.
- UCR
University of California, Riverside: The fig varieties which are from the UCR breeding program contain the UCR prefix. For example, UCR 143-36 is also known as Emerald Strawberry.
- Umbilicus
Visible part of ostiole at apex of fig receptacle.
- Umbonate
Bearing a boss or protuberance, which is commonly surmounted by a spine or projection.
- Undulate
Wavy-margined.
- Unifera
A fig variety that only produces a single main crop in the summer and early fall.
- United States Department of Agriculture
- University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis: Fig varieties and/or strains considered to be from UCD often contain the UCD suffix. For example, Black Madeira (UCD). However, this is something of a misnomer, and not technically correct, since UCD does not actually have any fig trees. A plot of the UCD Wolfskill Experimental Orchard is leased to the USDA, which actually maintains its fig genetics repository there. So some have started replacing the UCD suffix with the more technically accurate USDA suffix. In the case of these identifying suffixes, they have become de facto synonyms.
- University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside: The fig varieties which are from the UCR breeding program contain the UCR prefix. For example, UCR 143-36 is also known as Emerald Strawberry.