I will use the terms Ischia Black and Black interchangeably in this discussion since I believe they are understood to be the same variety.  Also, it should be understood that any reference to UCD Ischia Black indicates that the origin of the Ischia Black plant came from cuttings sourced through USDA's NCGR at Davis and grown at Wolfskill (UCD's Wolfskill Experimental Orchard, part of which is leased to USDA).

I've done considerable searching and reading on Ischia Black in the past week since Jon mentioned some uncertainty over the I.D. of a "Black Ischia" plant I brought for the silent auction at his Fig Fiesta.  I have quite a few of these plants started from cuttings that were obtained from Prusch Park in San Jose at an orchard maintained by CRFG chapters.  I also obtained one cutting of Black Ischia from Dick Watts and notice a difference in the plants.  So I gave Dick a call this morning.  He said that he originally bought his tree from a nursery back east and it was labeled Black Provence, a French variety.  He said that Jon site (http://figs4fun.com/Var_B_info.html#BLACKISCHIA) lists Black Provence as a synonym for Black Ischia so he just calls it that.  I do not know the source of information to call Black Provence a synonym for Black Ischia.  Dick mentioned the petioles (leaf stems) being reddish and that the eyes of the fruit are also red.

I have found a fair amount of discussion about their being differences between the sources, particularly from Martin (Diesler) with Dennis (snaglpus) and Pete (bullet08) also discussing their "UCD" Ischia Black.  Martin has apparently deleted photos that had been part of his posts so those aren't much help, lol.  Martin mentions Ischia Black 3014x in posts as indicating a source from Jon/Encanto to distinguish from his UCD Ischia Black.  Dennis posted photos of the trees at USDA's trees at Wolfskill in his post at http://www.figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1273730435&postcount=1 but those leaves are all mature and not as helpful as I'd like.  Pete has some nice photos posted a couple of months ago http://www.figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6417434 with his tree being started from a cutting obtained from USDA Davis ("UCD").  It is quite clear that the petioles on Pete's tree are not reddish.  Jake also has one post at http://www.figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1278645033&postcount=22 where he shoes a small planted started from a Davis cutting earlier this year.  It also does not have reddish petioles.  The young leaves on his tree look very much like mine started from Prusch cuttings.

Bass tells me that he also has a small plant started from a Davis cutting and he will provide a photo when he locates it.  If you have plants that were started from USDA cuttings and can share, please do so.

Below are photos of one of my in-ground Ischia Black trees as well as another still in a pot, both grown from Prusch cuttings.

Thank you for starting this discussion. Having purchased IB from Jon (twice - once directly, once via ebay) I was saddened to see it was not the same as the IB from Davis, but seems to be more like something in the VdB family.

In a previous thread Jon said his source of (some of?) the cuttings he was selling was from a fig guru and that person called it 'Black Ischi' - or something like that.

Fig identities... so confusing.

This is a photo from about a year ago retrieved from another thread here. It is of my young BI rooted cuttings from Jon/Encanto. Don't know if this helps. But no red petioles.

Harvey, here are pics of my two IB cuttings from UCD and started on 3-12-13.

[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/3FC66EAE_zps6afccd23.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/3FC66EAE_zps6afccd23.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/F178C476_zpseec163c0.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/F178C476_zpseec163c0.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/D90EFAA5_zps5b447c7d.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/D90EFAA5_zps5b447c7d.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/658A5EC6_zps16d3a9ce.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/658A5EC6_zps16d3a9ce.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Here is my 9 years old,ucd Ischia blk.
It wanted to die many Springs but managed to come back alive.
This year it wants to produce a handful of fruits too,but to talk about a harvest,Forget.!

Herman, did you start your tree from a cutting obtained directly from Davis?  Yours is the only "UCD Ischia Black" I've seen with reddish petioles.

Harvey, do you not consider the petioles on mine reddish?

Mike, I did not see your post.  Yes, they sure do look reddish!

Here are two photos Pete just took and emailed me of his Ischia Black obtained from Davis earlier this year.

Yes I obtained cuttings directly from UCD germaplasm

Maybe I'll try to make a trip to Wolfskill very soon and see if the tree has any signs of mutations that produce different growth patterns on some parts of the tree.

Hi Harvey

Jons 3014X according from him came from a local fig fella , i had it leaves that resembled bordeaux family figs and tasted like it them as well.  - Discarded.

Exotica Nursery - Ischia Black - currently growing and now looking like bordeaux leaves as well , figs were pulled and will get plenty to taste next season as it put out a lot of little figs this year .

Hirts Nursery - Ischia Black looked like Celeste  - discarded
But have seen others pictures and those looked much different from mine.


Richard Watts - Ischia Black. had his plant also and compared to Ucdavis Ischia Black from memory as i have no pictures it was not like UcDavis Ischia Black -Died in dormancy.

 Part of email excerpt from RW when i asked where his ischia black came from.

The Black Ischia that I have was obtained from Paul Starnes in Newnan, Georgia. who is since deceased.  He called it Black Provence, but I believe iit is the same fig.  It is very distinctive as it has reddish buds and a pink eye.  Mine does not show FMV most of the time but will show it sporatically.  I have had it since '86 and it  is still in a 5 gal. can.

It went on to say he R.W. renamed it because he thought it looked more like Ischia Black. END.



As a note Richard Starnes from my understanding was very knowledgeable when it came to fig plants and was 1 of 2 founding fathers of another forum called "Friends of the Fig Society " to which i and a few members here belong to .
Its been quite a while since i posted their and not sure if forum still is active.


Here is UcDavis Ischia Black and picture of red hue shown on 1 of my plants that i pulled all figs off this season.
Also shown is a ripe fig from my other UcDavis Ischia Black.

Thanks, Martin, for the detailed info.  I can't quite tell from the first photo, does it had reddish petioles also?

By the way, Dick told me he never gets even one fig from all of his trees, the ground squirrels and rats eat all of them. :(

Harvey yes it does 2nd picture show it better.

Okay, thanks. I thought maybe picture #2 was of a different tree of the same variety.

Pete told me via email something strange - he received 1 cutting from Davis.  He cut it in half.  The bottom half did have some reddish in it but died.  The top half of the cutting is growing sell and does not have red in it.  I can't believe an old variety like this would be unstable, but don't know what to make of it.

Harvey,



This is from my BI, now deceased, which had very bad FMV.



This is from pix on the USDA website of plant at WEO.

Black Ischia AD appears to have leaves more consistent with with VdB, and I suspect originated at Exotica Nursery, Vista, CA. It had al;ways been dormant when I saw it.

Black Provence from RW generally has a much lighter, mostly golden, interior, and don't have a leaf pix - so not sure where it fits in the puzzle.

Yours from Prusch has VdB like leaves, from what I saw at the Fiesta.

I do have to say that getting a mislabeled BI fig that turns out to be a VdB is not a bad deal - you are still getting a very, very good fig, albeit not what you expected.

Jon, photos of my Prusch Ischia Black are up in the OP, but not very good to compare since they are immature.  To my eye, looks same or similar to what Jake posted which I linked above.

Here is my Black Ischia grown from cutting received from Dick Watts:

harvey, 

i received 1 large cutting from USDA/UCD this yr. that cutting was cut into two, and i rooted both. one of the cutting didn't make it, the other is one that i posted.. i think. the one that didn't make it, looked rather different, altho, they are from same large cutting. the one that died had red all over. the bud was red, the leaves had red "vein". it didn't do much. stayed that way for a month or two then just dried up and died. not sure what happened. probably rotted. 

the one that survived shows no sign of redness anywhere that i can see. two cuttings from single large cutting, and they were putting out different leaves. 

USDA/UCD Barnissotte is doing something similar also. the lower cutting is having lot of weird looking leaves. but the top cutting has very clean and defined leaves. 

[QUOTE]I do have to say that getting a mislabeled BI fig that turns out to be a VdB is not a bad deal - you are still getting a very, very good fig, albeit not what you expected.[/QUOTE]

Really?  Not when one pays for a BI - and already has 2 VdB purchased from other sources.

Thanks for the research Harvey.  I love to hear about research someone has traced on figs.  I have 2 Black Ischias from UCD.  I started mine from cuttings 3 years ago.  Both doubled in height this year and gave me figs that were excellent.  Mr Watts and I have touched based several times.  He use to live here in Charlotte.  I have several of his trees and more coming next year.  

My BI UCD has the same leaf thickness as the mother tree at Davis and the same as Mike's and Martin.  Mine also has the same red tips and red veins.  My trees are in self watering pots and kept indoors in winter.  

Harvey  I went out and took leaf patterns from my trees.  I'll post them tonight.  Sorry but I don't think the Prusch cutting is the same as BI UCD.  The leaf patterns look totally different to me.  Thanks!

 

Dennis, my photos above are of immature leaves, mostly.  I will be inspecting the other tree at Prusch next week, probably.  What is still quite confusing is why do Pete and Jake have Ischia Black from Davis without the red ting?

Here is a photo of my most mature leave, though grown in my shade house so still somewhat still of questionable use:

My Black Ischia leaf patterns:

[URL=http://s605.photobucket.com/user/snaglpus/media/BlackIschiaUCD3.jpg.html][IMG]http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/snaglpus/BlackIschiaUCD3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s605.photobucket.com/user/snaglpus/media/BlackIschiaUCD2.jpg.html][IMG]http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/snaglpus/BlackIschiaUCD2.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s605.photobucket.com/user/snaglpus/media/BlackIschiaUCD1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt134/snaglpus/BlackIschiaUCD1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I got my Black Ichia from Dick also and was told the same story as Martin posted. It has been a slow grower as it's 3 years old and only 3 foot tall. Here are some pictures of the leaves and figs. I don't know if the helps or hinders but this is what I have.

[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/null-16-1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/null-16-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/5b2cdc70.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/5b2cdc70.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Young leaves
[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3578.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3578.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Mature leaves
[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3576.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3576.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_2206.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_2206.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3637.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3637.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Preto on left, BI on right
[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3679.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3679.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Bi on left, Preto on right
[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3682.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3682.jpg[/IMG][/URL]


[URL=http://s239.photobucket.com/user/PawPawgene/media/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3568.jpg.html][IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff295/PawPawgene/figs/Black%20Ischia/100_3568.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Gene, the insides of yours also looks like the 'Black Provance' at Jon's site.  http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Black_Provence.html

But not as much the Black Ischia.  http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Black_Ischia.html

Wonder why Mr Watts would change the name when it already came with a recognized one?
[QUOTE]
By the way, Dick told me he never gets even one fig from all of his trees, the ground squirrels and rats eat all of them. :([/QUOTE]

Wow. He needs to do some serious trapping.

Harvey,

Had a ripe IB today for the first time and it was superb. Too bad the temps are dropping or otherwise I would have more. I have a few more that I might get luck to sample in the next couple days.
I can post pictures of mine tomorrow.

But here's a link to the thread I started on it a while ago.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/ischia-black-070713-update-5885204

[QUOTE=Gina]
Gene, the insides of yours also looks like the 'Black Provance' at Jon's site.  http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Black_Provence.html

But not as much the Black Ischia.  http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Black_Ischia.html

Wonder why Mr Watts would change the name when it already came with a recognized one?
[QUOTE]
By the way, Dick told me he never gets even one fig from all of his trees, the ground squirrels and rats eat all of them. :([/QUOTE]

Wow. He needs to do some serious trapping.[/QUOTE]

Gina, I wrote above, that Dick Watts told me he changed the name because he saw that it was Black Provence is listed as a synonym under http://figs4fun.com/Var_B_info.html#BLACKISCHIA .  Under http://figs4fun.com/Var_I_info.html#ISCHIABLACK and http://figs4fun.com/Var_B_info.html#BLACKPROVENCE there are no synonyms listed.

My recollection is that when I started Ischia Black cuttings in 2010 I had one survive from Encanto Farms and one survive from UCD.  Here are the pictures of those young plants.  In 2011 I don't know what I did but one of the trees grew to six feet and I had my first IB figs that summer.  The flavor was so intense at the eye it was a thick raspberry preserve flavor to me.  Last year the tree did nothing and I had only a couple of figs.  I took some air layers from both for insurance.  Although one grew fast the branches were thin and one broke off from birds sitting on it.  This year they had a lot of figs and put on new growth.  I'll take more pictures of the leaves and remaining figs.  I did lose track of which one was the UCD tree but I've been told the one that looks more infected by FMV is the UCD one.  The eyes are red when the fig is still green.

[QUOTE=HarveyC]

Gina, I wrote above, that Dick Watts told me he changed the name because he saw that it was Black Provence is listed as a synonym under http://figs4fun.com/Var_B_info.html#BLACKISCHIA .  Under http://figs4fun.com/Var_I_info.html#ISCHIABLACK and http://figs4fun.com/Var_B_info.html#BLACKPROVENCE there are no synonyms listed.[/QUOTE]

I know that 'why'... But since it came to him as Black Provence, and since to me the pictures of his BI indeed look more like what is called Black Provence (though those might not have been available to him then)... I hate to sound cynical, but BI is a variety that lot of people want to buy.. but not that many seem to be seeking BP... I was even in contact with Dick Watts a few months ago after finding out mine wasn't the UCD strain either. Decided to wait for cuttings, but now I won't pursue that from him either.

I don't know about your BI from Prush Park, but if UCD BI is the only legitimate BI, yet many others want to sell the variety and it's difficult to obtain, the temptation would be great to continue selling something that 'he said it was' - especially when most people are not able to differentiate the subtleties of the various leaf morphologies, and a nice tasting black fig is a nice tasting black fig. In addition it takes a year or two to see what you really have.

Gina, my point was that if you get a mis-labeled fig and it is a VdB, that is a whole lot better than getting one that is a BT, or some other lesser fig. I agree, getting the wrong thing is never a good thing.

My Vista Black Mission is apparently a mis-labeled VdB and I would not trade it for the world.

Gina, I can only guess that Dick thought he'd use a name more people were familiar with.  He doesn't charge enough to really be after financial gains.  I didn't question him about the accuracy of his cuttings but, instead, to let him know that what I sent him probably wasn't IB and he then told me that he had bought his as BP.  Rather than sell what I sold him, he said he'd just get rid of them.  I don't know if he's ever seen the inside of one of his BP figs since he said the squirrels and rats don't leave him a single fig to eat. Fortunately, he does get some very good feijoa left for him, he says.  After I do a couple of inspections, I'll report back to him.

any fig is a good fig... as long as it's no a BT. lol

Well I'm the owner now of the plant you brought to the fig fiesta.  Its good to have the full history on this.   Can you describe the taste of your Ischia Black?

[QUOTE=HarveyC]Gina, I can only guess that Dick thought he'd use a name more people were familiar with.  He doesn't charge enough to really be after financial gains.  I didn't question him about the accuracy of his cuttings but, instead, to let him know that what I sent him probably wasn't IB and he then told me that he had bought his as BP.  Rather than sell what I sold him, he said he'd just get rid of them.  I don't know if he's ever seen the inside of one of his BP figs since he said the squirrels and rats don't leave him a single fig to eat. Fortunately, he does get some very good feijoa left for him, he says.  After I do a couple of inspections, I'll report back to him.[/QUOTE]

You're no doubt right about Mr. Watts - he's always struck me as someone who just loves figs. And he's only one of several who have sold mislabled BIs. In fact is there anyone commercially selling 'real' ones? Maybe it's the outlier UCD BI that is the one that is mislabled, lol.

It's getting closer to feijoa season. Looking forward to that.

Harvey, keep doing what you're doing.  And document those you talk to and take plenty of pictures.  The 2 BIs at UCD are in sad shape; notice I didn't say BAD shape.  And the same is true about Black Maderia, the trees at UCD are in sad shape but still produce super quality figs every year.  I'm just not sure how long these 2 trees will be there.  But UCD has plenty other fig trees that we have not seen yet.....maybe next year. 

So, for those of you who have true Black Ischia, give it your utmost attention and care.  It is one of the best black figs in the US.

Here is my Black Ischia fig started 2 years ago from a small UC Davis cutting.  This has been slow to size up, and has a strong case of FMV.

I visited Prusch today with posturedoc and checked out the figs.  I took a photo of the tree that there that is supposed to be Black Ischia and it seems clear that it is not.  There was no ripe fruit on the tree, unfortunately, though we did get a chance to taste many others.  It started raining when we we were only about a third of the ways done.  It let up and then it rained pretty hard, but we persisted.  We did it for the figs!

I want to bump up this thread.  I communicated with someone who had what they thought was Ischia Black but I let them know it didn't look right to me, especially with the absence of reddish petioles.  He told me that his plant was obtained from Edible Landscaping.  I didn't find it listed on their site (nor on archived versions of their fig page) so I emailed them to ask them about it and their source.

After a few days of waiting I've received a reply, but am not quite too sure what to make from it.  Still, I thought I would share so others can figure it out for themselves.  Here is the reply:

[QUOTE]Todd Kennedy from observation at Davis Repository said Black Ischia and Petite negri . We , the same fig. My stock plant here is from the starts I received from Todd.
Michael[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't be surprised.  However:

1)  It's a lot more likely that PN is on the spectrum between VdB and Violette Soleis/Noire de Barbentaine.  The biggest brebas can strongly resemble VS.  The leaves can resemble some strains of VdS, but not the main type.

2)  It sounds like PN is more acid than IB, and this has never had honey, or intense sweet jam at the end of the fruit.  If one manages to get fully ripe PN at the end of a sunny week, it will be pretty sweet, but not quite a sugar bomb.  Flavor is intense, and sounds more complex in taste than descriptions of VdB.  The primary feature that makes it really good is that it can be enjoyed fairly unripe.  Heat is required for superior fruit, and is less tolerant than VdB of cooler weather (or dry weather).  

3)  The leaves of IB are far more rugose than that of PN, and PN has never had a tendency for red tips or stems.  Now, I think I've seen a VdB (delivering fruit of roughly the same qualities of my PN at the time--mostly rotting but same general flavor otherwise, too) at an old farm, and the leaves there are much more rugose than most pictures displayed or my trees.  If I may suggest, that tree is in full sunlight.  Perhaps you could get better long term growth by keeping IB in pretty heavy shade for five or so years?  PN does like some shade and is easily water distressed in full sun.

I've heard tell that recently, Mike McConkley is very agnostic about the distinction between PN, Negronne, VdB.

this post caught my eyes while having my evening tea.. anyway.. USDA/UCD IB is getting red tint on the bud and the leaf stem now. thing is that i don't see those on my trees unless the weather is just right. on Kathleen's Black, it comes on when the temp suddenly drops in late fall or in spring. i rarely see it on VdB. i didn't pay too much attention on IB, but since reading this port, i went out and took some pix. 

on below pix, you can see dark pink/red blush on the stem and the.. not sure what it's called "husk" of the terminal bud. 

 

on this one, you can see it on unopened bud/fig. 

 

on this one, you can see that our weather has been cool and the latest leaves coming out with FMV. 

 

come to think of it, i have Jason's Unk IB swelling bud. i'll take that pix on next smoke break. 

no pix on Jason's Unk IB. they broke bud and put on the leaves. not it looks green, and light is too low to show any blush. while the bud was swelling it has dark almost purple hue. 

Harvey,
Thanks for the bump and the EL info.

I purchased a 4" LSU Purple last year and received the pictured plant. It is not an LSU purple because I tasted 2 ripe figs from the pictured plant, and I have 2 other LSU purple cultivars. The 2 figs had a dark red interior and were extremely dense and rich in flavor. I thought that it may have been a Petite Negri EL. I have another older plant, but it did not ripen any figs last year, so I could not compare. They also had a completely different taste from the Violette de Bordeaux / Negronne EL.


<edit>
Pete,
I had a few blurry fig pictures, but can't locate them currently, they are in a separate file for "figs", and weren't tagged. I'll post them when I locate them.

pete,

any pix of the fig?

found it. Jason's Unk IB. i was looking at wrong tree yesterday. 

 

Pete, here are a couple of pics of my IB from UCS last year. Interesting that both cuttings were eat up with FMV but there is no
visible sign this spring.

[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/FFFAB91A_zps6f6ed451.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/FFFAB91A_zps6f6ed451.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s1099.photobucket.com/user/newnandawg/media/Snapbucket/6C3794AF_zps46b0a322.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/newnandawg/Snapbucket/6C3794AF_zps46b0a322.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[QUOTE=shah8]....PN does like some shade and is easily water distressed in full sun.

I've heard tell that recently, Mike McConkley is very agnostic about the distinction between PN, Negronne, VdB.[/QUOTE]

By pure luck my Petit Negri is planted in more of a shaded area. Maybe it will take off this year. I did have all three but lost the Negronne.

mike,

mine started out great, then we had dip in the temp. since then most recent leaves are showing some problems. i'm thinking this strain of FMV doesn't like sudden temp change or something. few trees down is Black Madeira. i'm also seeming few leaves with FMv since the dip.

Here's an update of my "Black Ischia" (Black Provence) from Dick Watts.  Should get fruit this year to compare.  I notice that the petioles are red but leaf shape is different than Ischia Black.

 

Yeah, its a different leaf pattern from BI. That one you got Harvey is a keeper.

[QUOTE=tmc2009]My recollection is that when I started Ischia Black cuttings in 2010 I had one survive from Encanto Farms and one survive from UCD.  Here are the pictures of those young plants.  In 2011 I don't know what I did but one of the trees grew to six feet and I had my first IB figs that summer.  The flavor was so intense at the eye it was a thick raspberry preserve flavor to me.  Last year the tree did nothing and I had only a couple of figs.  I took some air layers from both for insurance.  Although one grew fast the branches were thin and one broke off from birds sitting on it.  This year they had a lot of figs and put on new growth.  I'll take more pictures of the leaves and remaining figs.  I did lose track of which one was the UCD tree but I've been told the one that looks more infected by FMV is the UCD one.  The eyes are red when the fig is still green.
[/QUOTE]

Tom, here are a couple of plants I got (indirectly, legally!) from you in October 2013.

First, Ischia Black with "UCD" (USDA) origin:

 


Next, Ischia Black of Encanto origin (sorry, fruit close-up is out of focus but not my soil!):

   

To me, this appear to be the same or very similar.  I just planted them in the ground last week and will monitor for progress.

here's one for sale on ebay. there's 2 photos of it. One is of a huge mother tree with lots of good leave photos.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/111657686958?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT