I will spend my summer leave in the sunny and fig friendly country of Southern Spain. Anticipating I will be seeing lots of fig trees and knowing myself, not being able to withstand the opportunity to take some cuttings after tasting off course, how can I discriminate between a caprifig and a fig that will produce in my northern climate?

Safest way is to ask
Caprification is not a routine exercise in Southern Spain so you have a remote chance of 'meeting' a wild fig.... unless you go to Sierra de Contraviesa where they still pollinate 2 or 3 varieties meant for drying.
Good luck

Francisco

Capra = goat in Italian.   Capri figs were seen as only fit for goats in the old days.   You could look for fig trees with goats grazing  nearby..lol

On second thought Francisco's advise sounds better.

Also here is a link on the sex life of a fig with descriptions on the male Capri figs that tend to have male flowers around the ostiole,

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/arbimg10.htm

Cold you taste them?
It is very difficult to mistakingly id a caprifig as an edible one.

Actually, fig trees are around everywhere in that area! I just want to avoid starting from cuttings that will not produce in my area anyway because they need pollination.

Hi Stormy,
You're mixing two problems : caprifigs and smyrna figs.

Smyrna figs need the wasp to keep their crop - They are of no use in your climate - neither in mine.
Caprifigs are the males and fruits are mostly not edible or of poor quality - and are of no use in your climate -neither...
So you want to find fig trees of the common type and you want them early ripening and cold hardy at least a bit.

You cant' spot such a fig with your eyes. You need to grow it and trial it for yourself - or ask someone that did that job for you.
One easiest way would be to buy in a nursery there... but sometimes sellers won't understand your questions either ...

So you can either chance it, or chance it at a nursery. But remember, in your country, the weather is not ideal for figs - Not enough sun and heat.
Do you have a greenhouse ?
Good luck !

Oh I see, got that now. But yes I do have a greenhouse, all my figs are in there. No way I can get them to ripen outside. To give you an idea of how "unfiggy" my climate is: we are having 16 degrees with heavy downpours for the last couple of days now.
In my greenhouse even my col de Dame is ripening, most of them in September.

The chance of finding a Smyrna fig tree in Spain is very low. I wouldn't worry about that. 
Nevertheless, if you find a wild tree that clearly seems spontaneous (not cultivated), it might be a caprifig.
But you will only know that by opening a few figs and trying to see if they have male flowers and polen (if the the profichi crop is still in the tree).

The best way is probably to try and find the owner of cultivated trees, talk about the figs and asking for some cuttings.
You will usually find a few varieties that are common in some of the spanish regions. 

Some varieties you may find (most interesting - bold):

VARIEDADES BIFERAS:
Albacor (Cuello de Dama Negro, Colar Elche, Missión). Origen: Islas Baleares.
Albar. Origen Extremadura
Argelina (Angelina). Origen: Islas Baleares.
Banane (Longue d'Août, Jerusalem). Origen: Francia.
Bermejí. Origen: Extremadura.
Blanca (Princesa). Origen: Andalucía (Huelva)
Blanca Betera. Origen: Comunidad Valenciana.
Blava (Flor). Origen: Islas Baleares.
Boyuna (Porronta). Origen Extremadura.
Brown Turkey (Albatera, San Piero, Negro Largo, Black Douro, Noire de Languedoc). Origen:Sur de Francia e Italia.
Burreña. Origen: Extremadura (Comarca de la Vera Cáceres)
Calabacita (Bermesca). Origen: Extremadura.
Casas Bajas. Origen: Comunidad Valenciana.
Conadria. Origen: Estados Unidos.
Cuello Dama Blanco (Blanca Cabezuela, del Guardia, Gota de Miel, Kadota, Dottato, Otatto). Origen: Castilla y León (Avila)
De Baco. Origen: Cataluña.
De Rey (Rei). Origen: Portugal.
Doña María. Origen: Extremadura (Sur de Badajoz).
Genyiva Mort. Origen: Cataluña.
Granito. Origen: Extremadura.
Moisoniere (Missonne, Mousissonne, Bouissonne, Moissoa, Figue Violette, Mouissona Risso, Becane Noire). Origen: Francia.
Moscatel Blanca. Origen: Castilla La Mancha.
Moscatel Negra. Origen: Castilla La Mancha.
Napolitana Negra (Negra Pozuelo, Napolitana Enguera, Napolitana Chelva, Napolitana Negra Foyos). Origen: Cataluña.
Negra Cabezuela. Origen: Extremadura (Valle del JerteCáceres)
Negra común. Origen: Andalucía.
Pezonuda. Origen: Andalucía.
Roja Almohadín. Origen: Castilla La Mancha.
San Antonio. Origen: Extremadura.
Sarrona. Origen: Castilla La Mancha.
Serranilla (Bota Morada). Origen: Castilla y León.
Verdejo. Origen: Extremadura.
Verdejuela. Origen: Extremadura.
Zuguele. Origen: Extremadura.

VARIEDADES UNIFERAS:
Ayuela. Origen: Extremadura.
Blanca Foyos. Origen: Comunidad Valenciana.
Cabatxa (Pit de Reina). Origen: Cataluña.
Col de Dame Blanco (Col di Signora Blanca, Col de Señora Blanca, Cuello de Dama Blanca, des Dames, de la Pera). Origen: Francia.
Col de Dame Negro (Coll de Dame Negre, Coll de Dama Negre). Origen: Francia.
Col de Dame Rosa (Coll de Dama Rosa). Origen: Francia.
Cordobís. Origen: Extremadura.
Cornudella. Origen: Cataluña.
La Casta. Origen: Extremadura.
Napolitana Blanca (Blanca Valenciana, de la Roca, Hivernenca, Aldearrubia). Origen: Cataluña.
Panachée (Calabacita R, Sabanita, Bordissot BlancaRimada). Origen: Cataluña.
Picholetera (Pezón Largo). Origen: Extremadura (La Vera y Valle del JerteCáceres).
White Genoa (Genoa, Genoa White). Origen: Estados Unidos.

VARIEDADES TIPO SAN PEDRO:
Lampaga (Tibeiro, Pacueca, Lampa Preta, Lampeira, Lampas). Origen: Portugal.
Nazaret. Origen: Israel.
Pecho de Reina (Tres Fan Carga). Origen: Cataluña.

Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino.
Boletín del Registro de Variedades Comerciales.
Oficina Española de Variedades Vegetales.
Boletín nº 5/2011 (29/11/2011)

That's a quite impressive list you are showing. Last year I was on a local market near Murcia where I bought these wonderful dark figs with a delicious taste. And I bet there are dozens of those around the Almeria area where we will spend our holiday this year.
Got to figure out a way to escape from the house without my wife noticing when I will go fig hunting.

Albacor (Cuello de Dama Negro, Colar Elche, Missión). Origen: Islas Baleares.

Does this mean that Albacor and our Black Mission are the same fig?

This is the file the Spanish Agricultural Ministry has on Albacor:
 
 

There are several cultivars with the main denomination 'Albacor'
This list is from Galgoni

http://www.galgoni.com/ENG/Llista_ENG.htm

It would be interesting to find out what Mr. Pons tells/shows on his detailed lists and pictures
My understanding has been that the Mission fig as cultivated in Mexico and California has originated on an old strain of the 'Albacor Comuna'... but I may be wrong.

Francisco
Portugal

Wow, sorry to hijack your thread, Stormy, but this thread is taking an unexpected turn.

There used to be MP Albacor photos on this page:
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/my-montserrat-pons-varieties-selection-6200610?highlight=albacor&trail=50

But I do not see them there any more.

If Albacor and Mission are the same (or very similar) figs, that would be a disappointment ...
I was trying to get one for a long time and finally have one. The Black Missions are growing on every street in the SoCal though and you don't have to look hard to find one.

There is no problem with a Mission fig, it is a tasty one. The problem for me is its size, it wants to grow large and not a very good candidate for a small yard or a container .
Also, you can buy in every store while in season.

Easy to point a caprifig. In the winter season they have no leaves but the Mamme set of syconia. Female figs in winter have no leaves nor syconia.

And in the midst of summer?

Do the Mammoni or Mamme figs develop male organs?
If yes, is it possible to extract pollens from such fruits?
In addition to Storey's method of pollen grains extraction - is there another way?
Is there a device that helps in pollinationg smyrna and san pedro figs?