Does anyone have good photos of Pied de Boeuf Brebas & leaves?
I was given a tree in a gallon pot in 2012 that ripened its first and only Breba on August 16. This is a composite photo of the Breba with a typical 5-lobed leaf (there are also 3-lobed leaves), laying on a 12" x 12" Travertine tile floor (this image is about 14" square):
The typical leaf is huge, much larger than any other variety in my collection so it is too big to fit on the single 12" x 12" stone tile that I use for all of the Fig/leaf photos posted on my website.
This is what Ira Condit said in 1955 about Pied de Boeuf in "Fig Varieties: A Monograph" (downloadable as a PDF from my website):
"Pied de Boeuf. Described by La Brousse (1774), Hogg (1866), Barron (1891), and Eisen (1888, 1901). La Brousse gave a disparaging opinion of the fresh-fruit qualities of Pied de Boeuf, but found it very good dried at Antibes, France. The other descriptions leave one in doubt as to the specific crop, but it is probable that both Hogg and Barron have considered the breba crop only, as a second crop of figs is not commonly produced in England. The slight attention given to this variety by horticultural writers is likely due to the fact that second-crop figs mostly drop unless caprification-is practiced. The late Leroy Nickel, of Menlo Park, California, obtained cuttings of Pied de Boeuf from England, and donated wood for the Riverside collection in 1927. Since that time it has proved to be a promising variety for fresh fruit brebas and for caprified figs of the main crop. Its behavior at Riverside has been better than in the cooler climate of Los Angeles. Tree and fruit characters are very much like those of Drap d’Or, but the two are regarded in this publication as distinct varieties.
Pied de Boeuf trees are slow-growing and densely branched, with terminal buds green in color. Leaves medium, somewhat glossy above, mostly 5-lobed, the middle lobe broadly spatulate; upper sinuses of medium depth and width, lower sinuses shallow, basal sinuses narrow; base cordate; margins coarsely crenate. The following description is based on notes made of figs produced during fourteen fruiting seasons.
Breba crop fair to good; figs oblique-pyriform; size large, up to 2-1/4 inches in diameter and 3-1/2 inches in length; average weight 79 grams; neck prominent, often curved, and up to 1 inch long; stalk slender, 1/2 to 1 inch long; ribs very prominent, the surface of the fruit therefore corrugated; eye above medium, scales rose to violetbrown; skin tender, waxy or glossy in appearance, with bloom fairly prominent; white flecks scattered, more or less concealed by body coloration; color Hessian brown, shading to green or light brown on neck; meat white, tinged with pink; pulp light strawberry, slightly hollow at the center, texture rather coarse; quality good. Excellent in appearance, but not well adapted to fresh-fruit shipping on account of tender skin and ribbed surface. (Plate 23, A.)
Second-crop caprified figs oblique-pyriform, above medium to large, up to 2 inches broad and 3 inches long; neck short and thick, or up to 1 inch long; average weight 63 grams; stalk slender, often curved, up to 1 inch long, sometimes enlarged or swollen toward the apex; ribs elevated, prominent; white flecks scattered, fairly conspicuous; eye large, open, scales violet; skin somewhat glossy, tender checking at maturity; color chocolate brown to mahogany red, attractive; meat white; pulp dark strawberry; flavor rich and sweet; quality excellent.
Uncaprified figs light in weight; center hollow; pulp amber; quality poor. (Plates 9; 14, C). See also Condit (1941a, fig. 2, R)."
I question if my tree is really Pied de Boeuf as the leaves are huge rather than medium in size, pubescent rather than somewhat glossy above, the middle lobe isn't quite "broadly spatulate" compared to spatulate as I have seen it defined in other Fig publications, and there is NO "bloom" at all on the Fig unlike all the Pied de Boeuf Fig photos I have seen on this Forum. The light areas on the whole Fig at upper right are reflections from the glossy skin, not "bloom".
If you have good photos of Pied de Boeuf Brebas & leaves, please post them.
Happy Growing, kiwibob, Seattle
Posting Title edited 8-20-16
