Botanically figs belong to the mulberry family (Moraceae), in the genus Ficus and is naive to south-western Asia to northwest India. During each season, fig bears several hundreds of pear-shaped fruits twice a year, which vary in size and color depending on the variety.Fig, Common Fig, Cultivated Fig, Edible Fig, Wild Fig are some of the popular common names of figs. Fleshy wall is whitish, pale-yellow, or amber, or more or less pink, rose, red or purple; juicy and sweet when ripe, gummy with latex when unripe.
| Name | Figs |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ficus carica |
| Native | Indigenous in south-western Asia to northwest India |
| Common/English Name | Fig, Common Fig, Cultivated Fig, Edible Fig, Wild Fig |
| Name in Other Languages | Nepalese : Anjiir Finnish : Viikuna Persian : Anjir Arabic : Anjir Korean : Mu Hwa Gwa Russian : Inžir Macedonian : Smoka Burmese : Thaphan Pakistan : Anjeer Swedish : Fikon Croatian : Smokva Samoan : Mati Vietnamese : Quả Vả Mangarevan : Pika Danish : Almindelig Figen French : Arbre À Carriques Rakahanga-Manihiki : Monamona Brazil : Figo German : Echte Feige Slovencina : Figovník Obyčajný Hungarian : Füge(Fa) Tongarevan : Monamona Polish : Figowiec Dutch : Echte Vijgeboom Italian : Fic Tuamotuan : Tute Cook Islands : Suke ( Maori) Serbian : Smoka Japanese : Ichijiku Chinese : Mo Fa Guo Malaysia: Anjir Eastonian : Harilik Viigipuu Norwegian : Fiken I-Kiribati : Te Biku Portuguese : Behereira India : Dumar ( Bengali) Slovašcina : Figa Czech : Fíkovník Spanish : Breva Marshallese : Wojke Piik Palauan : Uósech |
| Plant Growth Habit | Robust, deciduous, dioecious shrub or small tree |
| Growing Climate | Thrive in warm, dry climates. |
| Soil | Perform best on well-drained, reasonably fertile, organic matter rich soils. Figs are relatively salt tolerant and can be grown along the coast near brackish water. Fig is intolerant of poorly drained, waterlogged conditions. |
| Plant Size | 5–10 m high |
| Root | Shallow and spreading. |
| Bark | Smooth, distinctly lenticellate, grey or dull white, young twigs glabrous or softly hairy |
| Trunk | Short, rough trunk. |
| Stipules | Red, ovate-lanceolate, about 1 cm long and caducous. |
| Leaf | Alternate and borne on 5–12 cm long, grooved petioles. Lamina is variable in shape and size, broadly ovate to nearly orbicular, (4-) 5–15 (−20) cm long by (3.5-) 5–15 (−18) cm wide, undivided or shallowly palmatifid to mostly palmatipartite, lobes spathulate with entire to apically few-dentate margin, 5-costate at the cordate base, apex acute to obtuse, margins undulatedentate or dentate-crenate, sparsely to moderately hairy above, often densely hispid beneath especially on nerves, lateral nerves 6–8 (−9) pairs. |
| Flower | Male flowers are found near the apical orifice, with usually 4 united sepals, 4 stamens on long filaments with oval, exserted anthers. Female flowers are pedicellate, with 4 lanceolate-oblong lobed sepals, ovoid ovary with lateral style and bifd stigma. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Usually pyriform-obovoid to subglobose, 3–5 centimetres (1.2–2.0 in) long, glabrous or shortly hispid, |
| Fruit Color | Greenish- yellow, yellow, reddish to reddish-violet |
| Fruit Skin | Thin |
| Flesh Color | Whitish, pale-yellow, or amber, or more or less pink, rose, red or purple; |
| Taste | Unique, sweet Taste |
| Seed | Several slightly crunchy, edible seeds |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Carbohydrate 12.28 g (9.45%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.072 mg (5.54%) Total dietary Fiber 1.9 g (5.00%) Copper, Cu 0.045 mg (5.00%) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) 0.192 mg (3.84%) Manganese, Mn 0.082 mg (3.57%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.038 mg (3.17%) Potassium, K 148 mg (3.15%) Iron, Fe 0.24 mg (3.00%) Magnesium, Mg 11 mg (2.62%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1 Large (64 gm) | 47 K cal |