Fig Varieties: A Monograph - uri=ucce.ucdavis

February, 1955] Condit: Fig Varieties
427
Bourdissotte Noire. Described by Hogg (1866); description closely followed by Eisen
(1888, 1901). Reported to be a Spanish variety, distinct from Black Bourjassotte. Figs
medium, turbinate; neck and stalk short; color purple; pulp “flesh-colored”; flavor
sweet, but not rich.
Bourjassotte Grisé (syn. Grizzly Bourjassotte). Described by Audibert Frères (1854),
Hogg (1866), Barron (1868d, 1869a, 1891), Moore (1871), Pearson (1872), Rivers (1873),
Luckhurst (1880), Wright (1895), Eisen (1901), Wythes (1902), Bunyard and Thomas
(1904), E. A. Bunyard (1925, 1934), O. T. (1905), Starnes and Monroe (1907), Royal Hort.
Society (1916), Cook (1925), Arnold (1926), and Preston (1951). Illustrated in color by
Wright. Illustrated in black and white by Moore, O. T., Starnes and Monroe, T. (1907),
and Condit (1941a, fig. 2, K).
Pearson stated in 1872 that Bourjassotte Grisé was a new name for an old variety,
grown for many years at Clumber, England, under the name Blanche. According to
Rivers, the Bourjassotte figs were so named because they came from Burjasot, a village
in Spain, near Valencia. Barron (1891) reported Bourjassotte Grisé as “the most
constantly good fig” he had grown. It has long been highly regarded in England,
especially for forcing.
The variety was introduced into California as P.I. No. 18,847, from the Chiswick
collection. Outside of collections, two trees of this variety have been located in
California; one is in front of the Court House Annex, Santa Ana; the other is in the
garden of Mr. Robert Gallegos, Mission San Jose. At both of these places and at
Riverside, the production of brebas is very light, and dropping of green, immature figs
of the second crop is heavy; apparently, this is an example of partial or incomplete
parthenocarpy.
Tree fairly dense, vigorous; terminal buds violet. Leaves medium, mostly 3-lobed;
upper surface glossy; upper sinuses of medium depth and width; base subcordate;
margins coarsely crenate. The following description is taken from fruit borne by trees
at Riverside, Los Angeles, and Fresno.
Brebas few, many not maturing properly, medium, turbinate, with broad, flattened,
or somewhat depressed apex; color greenish bronze, or violet; white flecks
conspicuous; pulp dark strawberry; quality fair.
Second-crop figs medium, 1-1/2 to 2 inches in length, and about the same in
diameter, pyriform to oblate-turbinate, with short, thick neck; average weight 38
grams; stalk short; ribs slightly elevated, hardly prominent; eye medium, open, scales
tinged with violet; white flecks numerous, conspicuous; color greenish violet, darker at
the apex, many specimens showing a green zone persisting around the eye and on the
sides; pruinose bloom well marked; pulp strawberry; quality fair. (Plates 10; 11; 12; 25,
B.)
Caprified specimens with external color violet-brown; pulp blood red; flavor subacid,
rather strong.
Briasca (syn. Brayasque). Described by Sauvaigo (1889), Eisen (1901), and Simonet et
al. (1945). Illustrated by the last two authors in black and white. The account is after
that of Simonet, from specimens at Villefranche.
Leaves medium, 3- to 5-lobed. Brebas pyriform, medium in size, 2-1/4 inches long
and 1-3/4 inches in diameter; average weight 35 grams; neck short, gradually
narrowing to the medium stalk; ribs not very prominent; eye prominent,