Someone told me to buy Improved Celeste (O'Rourke NOT)
What does "O'Rourke NOT" mean?

From what I understand, some places sell O'Rourke as the same as an Improved Celeste. Others say they are 2 separate varieties, not the same tree.  I think that is what they mean when they say that.

It means it's not O'Rourke.  A lot of people confuse the two (IC and O'R).  If I remember correctly (about half the time), O'Rourke often has 5 lobed leaves, Improved Celeste rarely if ever does.  It gets the "not" placed after it when someone thinks they've bought an O'Rourke and it turns out "Not" to be as labeled.  Jon lists Hollier Not, Pastilliere Not and Eve's Black Cherry Not, among others.  Turns out Jon's Hollier Not probably "is" Hollier, but no one's sure yet  :)

Don't get us started on synonyms  :)

I think what they mean is they want and Improved Celeste tree, not an O'Rourke.  Some places sell an O'Rourke as the same tree as an Improved Celeste.  Other people say no, they are 2 different trees, Improved Celeste and O'Rourke. 

Bob has it right. The "NOT" suffix means that a particular fig was labeled under one name but turned out to "NOT" be what it was labeled as.

As I understand the difference btween Celeste and Improved Celeste, better Nematode resistance, only difference.  The O'Rourke is a different cultivar, I think, LOL

Vivian
THX your input on this subject is the best I have read yet.  It may not be correct, LOL, but I think it tracks everything I have seen on the subject.  Dr O'Rourke obviously thought the Celeste was a great platform for his development as it is in almost all his pedigrees.  I think the "improved" version may be one of the most under rated figs.  Are all his purple figs a continous revision of the basic Celeste with each simply an improved variant of the previous variant?  I would bet that guy down there (the one that a lot of people don't seem to like) would know these answers.