Leon: So what you are saying is that this trait or, more accurately tendency, occurred over time due to excess fig weight? Do these varieties tend to have weaker branches when compared to say Atreano or any other unrelated varieties? I am not trying to be Devil's Advocate or anything. I am just interested, as I have both Sal's and Black Weeping.
Neither type of fig had any weeping growth initially for me. They were normal upright trees. This year, Sal's remains upright, while Black Weeping is starting to weep slightly as it gets older, even though it has only one fig and no applied weights. While the figs produced are similar, is it possible that Black Weeping is a sport of Sal's that possesses this one difference, thus making it unique?
I know I have seen photos of Rafed's Magnolia that weeps, while the majority of that variety do not. To my knowledge, he applied no weights; nor do I recall him saying that he allowed it to grow unrestricted and "spiny." Again, could this possibly be some sort of mutation?
If a fig grows in a strange manner and its offspring grow in that same manner, a noteable difference from the original mother variety, would that not be considered a new type? I do not know the exact origin of Black Weeping. Who is to say that it did not grow from seed like Raspberry Latte or is not a deviation (Chimera) like Panachee? Weeping might not be dramatic, but it could be considered different enough from the trees to which it is similar to warrant a separate designation.
I have no doubt that we have a lot of figs out there with multiple names (Bensonhurst Purple/Hardy Chicago comes to mind). I just wonder if this is one of them or not. Any tree can be manipulated to appear different. They do that with bonsai all the time. Did this original grower coerce her tree to weep?
Mind you, I ultimately could care either way, so long as both varieties give me good figs. And I have zero intention of upsetting anyone (which appears to be easy to do at times). If I have, I apologize. That said, I would genuinely like to know more than has been stated and/or speculated so far.