OK, I know that leaves can be very misleading, especially on young immature trees.  But about a month or two ago I bought a Petit Negri from Edible Landscaping  (I figured for that variety, Michael at EL would be a  good source, given the history).  So it arrived about a month ago, and the leaves don't look at all like what I've seen of Petit Negri.  I figured maybe they're just immature, so I'd wait until the tree gets some age to it.  But since then I've seen two other immature Petit Negri trees, and they both had the characteristic deep lobes.  So here are a few photos... can this really be a Petit Negri?  Anyone out there ever seen a Petit Negri with leaves like this?

I would say that it is mislabeled, not even close

The leaves do look like the three-lobed leaves on my trees.  All I'd say is that Petite Negri is extremely unstable in leaf morphology.  Next year it may well have totally different leaves.

Also, there are obviously different strains of Petite Negri going around.

Petite negra has more cut leaves even as a juvenile. I don't recall ever seeing 3 lobes on mine, but anything is possible. Shah8 says his has them. 

They are the least frequent set of lobes, though, and do not persist along the branches, like one, five, or seven.

Yeah, I see.  Shah8, where did you get yours from?  

Also, I did a google search, and found what appears to be an obsolete version of Jon's "varieties" page, (or at least a no-longer-linked version of it), and inside that I found this photo reference:
http://figs4fun.com/fpix/FP940-12.jpg

So now I'm wondering...  shah8 your point about different strains of Petit Negri, versus unstable leaf morphology.  Where did you get your Petit Negri?  And have you already seen such wide variation in leaves?

I know I've seen Petit Negri trees (several times) that have one main branch having all deeply cut leaves (10 or 20 of them), and another main branch having all single-lobed leaves (10 or 20 of them) that look almost like a large elm leaf.  I've never before seen a 3-lobed Petit Negri leaf though...

Never judge on immature leaves.  I got wood from a member that was labelled "Hardy Chicago".  As it was growing the first 18 months, the leaves looked exactly like my Italian Honey from the same source.  This year, at 4' tall and caliper slightly thicker than a man's thumb, all of the leaves have the telltale sign of Hardy Chicago.

Wait until next year to judge, or look at leaves when active growth is not occuring.  Humor me on this one ;)

Edible Landscaping in the early 90s.

I also purchased a Petit Negri from EL earlier this year. I just looked. Almost all it's leaves are 3 lobed, but cut deeper than the photo at the start of this thread. Can't take a photo right now.

I will be quit surprised if it winds up being Pn. I've airlayered mine, seen photos of it for sale and never seen one like that. If it is a different strain it is very different. Jason ordinarily I would agree with you but in my experience Pn is an exception to the rule and usually shows it's true leaves very young or at least, cut up leaves while young.

I would send EL a picture of what you have to compare and also get them to send you a picture. I have a plant but it's older and the leaves look nothing like that. I also agree with others that immature leaves can be different. I'm not positive, but I think mine is from EL also. Either way, I would want to find out just so I knew. This seems to be a good company and think they will be more then happy to check for you.


luke

Yes EL is a good company, but mistakes happen too. I got my PN from Parks Seed so mine could also be wrong. I do think based on the fruit and leaves of mine that it is correct though. It is unusual for me to source figs from them, think I was buying somthing else and ordered one on impulse. Much prefer to get my figs from forum members or the handful of known reliable vendors that most on the forum do business with. 

Mike,

I would wait another year if I were you. Give a young tree a chance to mature and then we will judge, if need be.
A young tree is like a baby sometimes, babies change their appearance every time you turn around.

But it looks like you have a young and healthy tree.
Doubt EL would knowing sell you a mislabeled tree.

Good luck

EL also sells VDB, my VDB does throw 3 lobes on occassion, hmmm. VDB and PN are pretty close in appearance of the leaf and the fruit too. That would be my guess, but hey wait and see as many suggest.

Here are the leaves from my PN from EL. It came in a 4 inch pot a few months ago and is now in a 2 gallon. The first photo is from a sprout from the base that show leaves showing a slight tendency for 5 lobes.

The plant is growing in full sun - maybe 10 hours/day

Click to enlarge

Michael, not at all.  Only a minority of the 5-lobed are especially cut and none of them are as cut as standard issue VdB, Negronne, or Valle Negra.  They usually look fat enough that they could be mistaken for something else.  In general, my figs' dominant leaves resemble Vista in the photo archives.

Barry,

Doubt it is VDB but if by any chance it were to be Mike would come out a winner.

Michael:You got the correct Petite Negri.
The Petite Negra That Parks seeds sell is not Petite Negri,but Aubique Petite That Pierre Baud sells from France.
The world of figs is so confused because some nurseries make it confusing by placing false labels on  trees.
Michael at EL,has the genuine Petite Negri,that is a cultivar in itself.
It makes figs almost undistinguished from Ischia Black,but The leaves are different,and three lobes,compared to Five lobes Ischia Black has,as dominant leaf.
The leaves shape will mature in August and will be a little different to now but will never be identical to Petite Negra,which in Fact is Pierre Baud Aubique Petite.

Here is Aubique Petite aka Petite negra sold by Park seeds!,Pix

Edit Note:Now That I have seen Gina pix ,I can state for sure that Edible landsc, has 2 different trees labeled as Petite Negri,or they get plants from wholesale supplier and sometime they get one kind sometimes the other.
Gina's fig is Petite Negra aka Aubiique Petite the same plant Park seed is selling as such.
Michael plant is Old style genuine Petite Negri.
Both trees are very good cultivars adapted to small garden and both make wonderful tasty figs.

From the pics, it looks like I also got petite nigra, instead of petite negri.

Grant
z5b

Vasilly, please put a comparison pic for the petite negri, if you have one so people can see right off.

Again, My strain of Petite Negri is not suitable for small gardens, unless it's in a pot, 'cause it does want to be a tree.  It needs heat for proper ripening.  Racking my memory from last year's main harvest, the period is about three weeks long, and the figs are hard to hold more than two of (I've gone in, try to pick a handful of fruit, and wind up setting them on the terracing rail-tie, and getting a bowl) so I think it's generally somewhere north of 40g, probably 60 or so dense/pasty grams.  The fruits are relatively pyriform, with a very thin and easily cracking skin.  The interior is very similar in color and structure to a BI, just less round.  The flavor is generally strawberry, fig, mulberry/wine, and when it's good, sweet cut with acid such that it's pretty bright/intense.  Not super-sweet.  This is all unreliable memory, so I will be paying attention this year, hopefully ripening in good weather--cute little figs are beginning to exit the stagnant phase now.

Well now I'm confused, which seems to be happening a lot lately. Don't think Gina's plant looks like mine, but my source was Parks about 6 years ago and according to you Herman, Gina and I should have the same plant Abiqua Petite. I will post pics of my leaves tomorrow, but in the mean time, can you tell me what the Petite negra brebas should look like? Mine are very elongated, I've posted pics of them this year and last. And who would like to swap scion?