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Subject: fig 'sports' Replies: 3
Posted By: Geoff Views: 356
 
Thanks JDS,
                 I've had some cuttings start with entire leaves then change. The fig I'm trying to id is over 100 years old and always has heart-shaped leaves. My latest theory is that it's an old Canary Islands variety picked up on early sail voyages from Europe.
Cheers  Geoff

Subject: fig 'sports' Replies: 3
Posted By: Geoff Views: 356
 
Probably displaying my fignorance here, but I'm trying to id a variety here which always has entire leaves.(see 'Heart' fig posts). Given that a number of fig varieties are reported as having some entire leaves, I was wondering what would happen if cuttings with only entire leaves were grown. Some ornamental plant varieties eg. Camellia, have been produced from 'sports'/mutations. I understand that a tendency to have some entire leaves is not a mutation as such, but just wondering what would happen. Anyone with any experience of this?

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Thanks for the pics. Interesting leaves! They're a little like the 'Heart' fig, but there's no record of such hybrids in Australia. The 'Heart' plant is much older than these hybrids which I understand are modern. Palmata varieties, however, could have been picked up on the long sailing ship journey to here from Europe. Don't know enough about the eating qualities of palmate varieties.

Subject: French variety "Ballona"? Replies: 10
Posted By: Geoff Views: 622
 
Thanks to some helpful folk on here, I've been able to discover more re Bellone and Sultane. It seems there are significant differences:

* They share no common syns:  Bellone - Bellona; Bellonne; Ficus carica Bellona Risso.
                                          
                                               Sultane - Sultana; Fig of Nice; Black Nice; Nice; Antibes; Grosse de Juillet; Dark Sultane; Noir de Juliet.
One modern source claims Bellone bifere as a syn. for Sultane.

*Trees/growth characteristics:    Bellone - strong tree, 16 feet, drooping branches, slow growing. Mid-late variety.
                                                Sultane - Upright with minimal suckering, fast growing. Fruits early. 

* Leaves:                                  Bellone - large, deeply 3-5 lobed.

                                                Sultane - '..big leaves of type 3 with 5 lobes,shallow..".

*Brebas :                                   Bellone - rare or none.

                                                Sultane - Two crops, very productive.

*Fruit:  Many similarities, but, Sultane is described as having a distinct pruinose bloom, whereas Bellone has no bloom. This distinction is clear in pics. For me, the most convincing distinction is that Bellone is easily damaged in handling and transport whereas Sultane has "skin unusually firm, resistant to injury', suggesting quite different skin textures.

As I can find no record of Sultane ever having been in Australia, I don't forsee any confusion in my qhest for our 'lost' Bellone.
Regards Geoff

Subject: French variety "Ballona"? Replies: 10
Posted By: Geoff Views: 622
 
Wow,
       thanks heaps. Obviously it was regarded highly as a dried fig back in the days. I'll try for more details under the syns. Anyone have this variety?
Geoff

Subject: French variety "Ballona"? Replies: 10
Posted By: Geoff Views: 622
 
Wondering if anyone has any Knowledge of this variety. The only reference I can find is an old Aussie newspaper report from 1890 which says it was first imported in 1827. The largest importer of the time said he had imported tons of the variety from France. It  also suggests that it was the "best fig of the south of France". Given these claims, I find it a little surprising that it is not mentioned elsewhere . As it was apparently named after the "Goddess of War", I doubt it's a misspelling, but maybe it's a syn. I've collected extensively from Dunolly, the location referred to,  from very old plants, so I may have it, but need more description to id it. One very old, abandoned orchard there has 9 surviving trees and is the most likely location.
Thanks  Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
G'day Francisco,
                       thanks for your help again. Your comments support what I have been able to discover. There appears to be no carica variety which always has entire leaves. I doubt it's one of the hybrids you mention as it was collected about 30 years ago from an old garden in a small country town. The owner, who was then approaching 100, said it had been there all his life. Our figs are beginning to leaf out so I'll post pics of my friend's mature tree. The first leaves on my cuttings are entire. I've come across a few pics of Indian figs (palmata?) with similar shaped leaves and with reasonable sized figs, but have no idea of their eating qualities. My friend regards it as the best eating fig of the 10 or so that she grows.
Cheers  Geoff 

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Thanks Francisco, wish I had the language. Terrific descriptions,pics etc, but can't find one with non-lobed leaves. You find the leaf form in descriptors but I've not been able to locate a variety from anywhere. I did come across some pics in the document Nelson put me on to. A bit surprising that they don't describe one in this paper. I'll keep trying.
Cheers  Mate 
Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Panache is in some private gardens here. Try the Heritage Fruit people on Facebook.
Cheers  Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Hi again,
            have now been recognised as human but lacking 'Activation Key'.
Cheers  Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Hi Enigma,
               tried to get on to your Aussie site but laptop freezes when I try to prove I'm human. I think I'm still one of the race!
Cheers mate   Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
Thanks Nelson,
                     certainly pics similar to the non-lobed fig I'm talking about. Wish I understood Spanish! I've not been able to find any reference to names being given to the figs brought here from the Canary Islands or if they even had names. Apparently there were figs already on the islands and then the Portuguese introduced more when they colonised them. Thanks Enigma and I will check into the Aussie forum. Cheers  Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
G'day Enigma,
                    the Canary Islands was a regular stop for sailing ships on route here from England and it was reported that they had picked up figs from there. The only fig leaf pics I've found with lobeless leaves are from there, so I'm hoping that I might eventually be able to id it.
Cheers Geoff

Subject: 'Heart' fig Replies: 13
Posted By: Geoff Views: 838
 
G'day from Australia,
                              my interest is in heritage figs imported into this country before 1900. I collect from old gardens and orchards. I live in the centre of our old goldfields. One I'd like help with is a fig with heart-shaped leaves. A Permaculture friend, came across it in a country garden about 30 years ago. It never has lobes. The owner of the garden was in his 90's back then and said that the tree had been there all his life. It is my friend's favourite eating fig. From the beginning of European settlement in this country (1788) there were figs brought from the Canary Islands. The only figs I can find with heart-shaped leaves come from there. I note that some folks on here have Canary Island experience. It's winter here so I can't post pics at the moment. My basic question is, is my theory right or are there other provs. for heart-shaped leaves?
Cheers and happy figgin'  Geoff