This is the only breba on the only REI that I have.  I have an attachment to this fig since it was almost a goner with the cutting dieing back to the growth and finally stopping and surviving.  So it was a fighter.  It's the only fig that I have that seems to be a naturally low growing bush shape.

Congratulations!  It's 1 more than I have  :)  Protect it from critters so you get to enjoy it!  Some people wrap them in newspaper .  Let us know how you like it.

Riper!

Cool looking fig.

What is an REI? I'm not always good with acronyms. 'Search' yields nothing.

Thanks.

I don't think it is an acronym.  It is a Portuguese fig so I'm not sure if Rei is an actual Portuguese name.  I just used google translate and rei means king in Portuguese.   So I guess I can call this the King Fig although I like REI which I pronounce Ree?

Jon's vareital website shows the REI...Not much info though.

Rei means king in Portuguese. 

Many thanks. Out here we have a chain that sells recreation equipment, REI, so I wrongly had assumed it was an acronym of some sort too.

Live and learn. :)

It could be an athletic fig?

Looks more like a misshapen watermelon to me!

tmc2009, I am curious about your Breba. It looks like I have seen it before. REI is in fact a variety of Portuguese common figs but to my knowledge it does not produce any brebas.
To me, your fruit looks our well known San Pedro -Lampeira Preta-. Please look at the pictures to compare. average weight around 150 to 180 g.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lampo2012/7156779813
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lampo2012/7341982944

I ordered REI cuttings from Jon back in Feb 2010.  The only information I have is from Encanto Farms website.  He does not have pictures of the figs.  He describes the breba as large green fig but the main crop was greenish purple last year although they did not ripen.  I think I have pictures of last years main crop somewhere.  It was even more red by the end of today.  I'm getting paranoid about it now.  Maybe I should bring it in for the night.  Don't want any critters enjoying it.

Hehe you sould like me. Trust your gut! Bring it in or.... If your really paranoid like me.. I bought screen door sheets and made a frame to put over my fig tree, the opening is the bottom end to slip over it. Bought the material at Lowes

Hi fmc,
To me what you say makes good sense.Around here, this brebas started to ripen approx a month ago and the tree already shows the coming crop of 'vindimos' which when ripe are ´greenisch/violet'.
However this second crop to mature need to be caprified, i.e., the small wasp must be around by NOW, to insure pollination.
Otherwise these figs will shrink/dry and fall from the tree
Later today will send pictures.

I found the pictures of the main crop.  I brought it inside the house to give it more time but it didn't help.  Here is a picture of cutting.  I have a fondness for this tree because it was almost a goner.  It is a very compact grower, with branches that grow horizontal or just about perpendicular to the main trunk. 

Adriano here in Canada has Rei Preto, I ate some main crop figs last year at his house his main crop figs do look like yours but his does not produce breba's.

So at this point I'm a little confused as to what variety this is.  This is a breba because the main crop is forming also.  It's just that the breba seems to be the wrong color?  I'll give the fig one more day before picking.

Breba vs. main are different sizes and shapes very often.  A good example is Flanders - breba is much longer and droopy compared to main crop.  The BT I just cut out of the ground has breba figs at least 30-40% larger than the main crop (some 2x as big!)

Looking in more detail to those 'REI' pictures and although the fruit looks similar to 'Lampeira preta', I do have additional doubts and this because the leaves of those trees are not at all similar. The pictures attached show a local 20+ year old Lampeira, a very robust and productive tree, showing its current brebas as well as 'bouquets' of young main crop figs -we call them 'vindimos'- which will hopefuly be ripe by mid-September, if caprificated.
In these Lampeira pictures the leaves are either lobeless or 3 lobed, far different from the 'REI' leaves which I figure to be 5 or 7 deep cut lobed.
Will Nelson please tell a bit more about where that REI variety has originated.Is it from the Azores, Madera ?? In the eastern Algarve there is an old variety of common fig called REI (pronounced Ray from Raymond)with just a main crop in August but no brebas. This is a rather small fig with almost no pulp but with a tasty/sweet relatively thick skin, consumed mostly dry and roasted.

Lampo, is there a Lampa Preta in Portugal or is Lampeiria also known as Lampa Preta ? Hope you can let us know more about Portuguese figs.

paully22,
Yes, Lampa Preta or Lampeira Preta are the same variety (SanPedro). Lampos (portuguese) is synonim to breba (spanish).In certain areas these figs are also called 'figos de San Joao' or 'St.John's figs' due to their ripening by the mid of June which is the timing for the most popular Saint's folk festivals all over the country (San Pedro/San Antonio/San Joao etc..) There are other popular names called to these figs which I refrain to mention as they have not much to do with Pomology (!?)
The main crop of this fig is ripe in September and is called 'figos vindimos'. This because they are ripe and ready for pick-up at around the same time of the wine making grape harvest which we call 'vindima'. These figs are smaller,but very sweet with a bit of acid flavor, good to be eaten fresh and to dry.
Mostly in the north of the country there is Lampeira Branca or Lampa Branca (white lampos/brebas), again a SanPedro variety, 2 crop, with the second crop needing caprification to mature.
Another Lampo/Breba which was never well known among us is the french variety Dauphine. I have two of these in pots, responding very well to our local climate conditions. Will send pictures soon.

Thanks for the clarification. Such a wealth of information as I thought Lampa Preta is another variant.  Currently I don't have Lampeira Preta but my friend has it. Hope he see's this interesting feedback. By the way, have you had the opportunity to compare the taste between Lampeira Preta & L.Branco?

I have a young Dauphine with one fig. Hoping it will hang on for me to sample. It is grown in the ground. Myself & a friend is trialing Dauphine. Hopefully it is good for our cooler summers.

I hope you are able to tell us what is the most popular Portuguese fig variant overthere ? In British Columbia, Canada our most popular & reliable variant is Desert King, a san pedro fig. Thanks again for the clarity on Lampa Preta description & I hope you will post more on Portuguese/Spanish figs.

and here i thought REI fig was some tree found near someone's local REI store.. lol

pete

Hi Franscisco, the Rei Preto Adriano has came from Continental Portugal where exactly im not sure but I can find out. His Rei Preto is medium to large thick skinned as well with pink pulp. Leaves from what I remember were 5 lobed.

The Rei your referring to is it the same one that is also known as Preto de torres nova's I know they also call that one Rei in some regions.

paully22, The difference between Black and White Lampeira is not much and it will have mainly to do with the environment, type of soil, ammount of irrigation to mention a few. Both flavoured and sweet for what they are :'BREBAS'
Some old farmers still grow their trees with no irrigation at all and their Lampos (black or white) are about half size when compared with irrigated fruit BUT delicious, very sweet and flavored. pls see in the topic 'RIPENING ORDER' a message sent with pictures of a non irrigated black lampo.

Nelson, sorry for not seeing all your messages.
I am very curious about the REI (black or white) and will investigate further. What strikes me most are the leaves and the fact they produce brebas!
Before all this talk started, back in May when visiting the Saturday market in Loule, talked to a farmer selling small dry/roasted figs which does'nt look ideal for my eye and asked him, what variety it was. He said those were 'figo REI' saying it was a very old variety many growers stop cultivating and replaced by other trees. I will try and meet him again to find out a bit more. I am not surprised this beeing a new cultivar from the North/Central Portugal where in recent years farmers devote more attention to the so called 'table figs'. The region of Torres Novas was known many years ago for producing high tonnage of figs for the industry.