Fig Varieties: A Monograph - uri=ucce.ucdavis

394 Hilgardia
[Vol. 23, No. 11
Trees small, lacking in vigor; terminal buds green. Leaves medium, somewhat
glossy above, mostly 5-lobed; both upper and lower sinuses moderately deep and
broad; basal sinus sometimes broadly subcordate, but often narrow, or almost closed;
margins crenate.
Breba crop none. Second-crop figs oblate-spherical, below medium to small; average
weight 25 grams; neck absent, or when present, short and somewhat flattened; ribs
fairly conspicuous; eye medium, open; color green, becoming spotted with brown at
maturity, unattractive; pulp light strawberry, or dark red when caprified; quality poor.
Very susceptible to spoilage. (Plate 17, D.)
Grasse (syns. Figue de Grasse, Matarassa, Figue Grisé’, Ficus carica grassensis Risso,
Grassenque; the last according to Du Breuil and Eisen). Described by Bernard (1787),
Duhamel (1809), Risso (1826), Noisette (1829), Couverchel (1839), Duchartre (1857),
Hogg (1866), Du Breuil (1876), Sauvaigo (1889), and Eisen (1888, 1901). Bernard
recorded this variety in 1787 as Figue de Grasse, and all other authors followed this
nomenclature until 1889, when Sauvaigo called it Matarassa. The account by Duhamel
followed very closely that of Bernard, as in fact did several others, mostly without
giving credit. Figue Castex (Grasse) described by Ounous (1863) may be the same
variety. With the exception of Hogg, British authors ignore the variety, at least under
the name Grasse. However, P.I. No. 18,850 was received in California with the
Chiswick collection under the label Grasse, and fruited in various collections. At
Riverside, this introduction proved to be a violet-fruited variety, identical with
Bourjassotte Grisé. The following description is after that of Eisen, who reported it to
be highly recommended for rich bottom lands.
Tree is vigorous, with 3-lobed leaves.
Figs very large, 8 to 9 inches in circumference by 3 inches in length, turbinate, with
flattened apex; neck short; ribs distinct; stalk very short; eye open; skin thin, light
yellow, with delicate bloom; pulp very dark red. A handsome fig, of medium quality
when fresh, but better when dried.
Grosse Jaune (syns. Aubico Blanco, Aubique Blanche, Tapa Cartin, Ficus carica
monstrosa Risso). Described by La Quintinie (1692) as La Grosse Jaune; others who
give this name preference are Tournefort (1700), Garidel (1715), La Brousse (1774),
Rozier (1805), Duhamel (1809), Lamarck (1817), Bory de Saint Vincent (1824), Noisette
(1829), Couverchel (1839), Leclerc (1925), and Evreinoff (1947). The following authors
used the designation Aubique Blanche: Bernard (1787), Duchartre (1857), Du Breuil
(1876), and Bois (1928). Sauvaigo (1889, 1894) is followed by Eisen (1901) and by
Simonet et al. (1945) in listing and describing this fig as Tapa Cartin, without any
explanation as to the meaning of the name. Estelrich (1910) and Priego y Jaramillo
(1922) described it as Albacor Blanca. Risso (1826) treated it as Ficus carica monstrosa,
or “figue a’ fruit monstrueux,” because some of the figs exhibited monstrosities,
reported by Sauvaigo and by Penzig (1922) as the proliferation or superimposition of a
secondary fruit at the apex of a primary one. Both Estelrich and Simonet figure a single
fruit. Lamarck presumed that “this is the one which Miller named, La Grosse Blanche
de Genes, his variety No.4.”