there is common which most of us grow. there is san pedro which gives braba, but main crop requires caprication. there is smyrna which requires caprication for both breba and main. there is caprifig that produces pollen. 

now.. what's the difference between caprifig and smyrna? is that that caprifig can have male part and generates pollen while smyrna is all female parts where male part will not form completely? if common, san pedro, and smyrna are all female where male part will not generate completely, why is that common is edible both breba and main without the help of caprication while san pedro and smyrna will require caprication for some or all of their crop? 

Caprifigs have pollen, Smyrna do not.  Most caprifigs are not edible, worse than Martin's worst nightmare of only having white figs.

This topic assumes that any fig tree will bare a fruit, either male or female, at some point. Since my fig craziness started, I have been looking at the fig trees in the parks, parking lots, anywhere where they could grow and a large number of the trees have not had any fruit on them. Some large trees I checked several times over the course of the last year.

So is this another kind, without any figs?

igor, i'm not sure. i'm sure more experience folks might be able address your question. since we collect trees based on their ability to provide figs, not sure if anyone has collected such.. maybe in CA it's possible to see those.  but i know few figs at least, might have problem putting on the figs if condition is not right. Kathleen's Black comes to my mind. others might drop all their figs, but at least you will the figs on the ground. 

next time you see such tree, try pinching it and see if that helps the tree next season. 

Pete
Thanks for explaining the different kinds of figs in terms I can understand.

One question I have is what are the ratios of how many figs of the different kinds are being cultivated? i.e.;  

Common figs = 80%?
San Pedro = 9%?
Smyrna = 10%?
Capri = <1%?

99% of what i have is common fig. i have 1% san pedro. if everything works out, i'll have 98% common, 1% san pedro and 1% caprifig :) 

i haven't kept any san pedro type since my weather here is good enough that i can get common figs that will produce both breba and main fig. didn't have any reason to grow DK and others. i have received some Lampeira Preta cuttings and that's my only san pedro figs. but i heard that breba crop on this tree is very very nice. reason for not keeping smyrna and caprifig is rather obvious one. there are no native fig wasps here so they will not give me figs that i can eat. 

after looking at francisco's and harvey's common and other figs that were capricated, i think i'm going to try to raise fig wasps in my garage to see if it's possible to keep them here. it seems it won't be too hard to keep.. but who knows what will happen. a generous forum member has offered caprifig tree cuttings. so we'll see what happens in next few yrs. 

Seedlings produced from a persistent caprifig and either type (common or San Pedro) fig result in 25% common, 25% Smyrna, 25% non-persistent caprifig, and 25% non-persistent caprifig.  If a  non-persistent  caprifig is the male parent, they are 50% San Pedro and 50% non-persistent caprifig.  In commerce, we don't see these low percentages of common figs because the others get tossed in the fire or don't get propagated as frequently.

"So is this another kind, without any figs?"

The bible provides guidance in this respect. See Luke 13 versus 6 to 9 and Mark 11 verses 12 to 25. Jesus was not forgiving of such trees.

i thought jesus was more forgiving type as in new testament sort of way. not like the old god in old testament an eye for an eye type thing.. then again, i don't know bible too well. 

Once, a famous fig-person said (something to the affect):
"Glad that human sex is not as complex as that of them figs".

Trees might not have figs for a variety of reasons. Cultural conditions causing stress could suppress fruiting. Trees grown in a lot so shade may be reluctant to produce fruit, and, instead, concentrating on growing foliage to encourage greater photosynthesis,.They could also be seedlings that just don't bear fruit (regardless of whether they are common, san pedro, etc.) Don't know all the biology, but not all seedlings are fertile. All people are fertile, so infertility in plants shouldn't be a surprise. It is also possible to be observing a tree at a timer when it does not have fruit, such as a breba-onoly type in August.

Kathleen's Black seems to be happy just to put on vegetative growth. it will put on branches after branches. put on roots until the drain hole will clog. then just a pinch changed everything.