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.
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- Incir
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
- Indehiscent
Not opening.
- Inequilateral
Sides of unequal lengths. Not symmetrical or equilateral.
- Inflorescence
The complete collective flower heads (before becoming fruit) within the fig, including pedicels, ovaries, and styles. Essentially, what makes up the "pulp" of the fig, before it is ripe. For the ripe stage, see Infructescence. See the Anatomy of a Fig page.
- Infructescence
The complete collective fruit heads (after the flower stage) within the fig, including pedicels, ovaries, and styles. Essentially, what makes up the "pulp" of the fig, after it is ripe. For the flower stage, see Inflorescence.
- Internode
Portion of stem between joints.
- Involucral
A group of one or more whorls of bracts beneath a flower or flower cluster, or in the case of figs, around the "eye".
- Involucre
A whorl or set of bracts around a bud, flower or ostiole of a fig.
- Ira J. Condit
Ira Judson Condit (1883–1981) was an American horticulturist who studied subtropical fruits, including the fig, the olive, and the avocado. His contributions to the fig community were extensive. In addition to his exhaustive fig research, testing, and breeding, he wrote a number of books on figs, including: The Kadota Fig, Fig Characteristics Useful in the Identification of Varieties, Fig Culture in California, The Fig, Caprifigs and Caprification, and the comprehensive tome, Fig Varieties: A Monograph.
- Italian Numbered Figs
Giorgio Grassi is the original source for what has come to be known as the Italian Numbered Figs collection. He collected Italian fig varieties throughout Italy and were introduced to the US by Todd Kennedy.