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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- 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.