Subject: Question - Ficus Benj. bears fruit??

From: [email-masked] (James Yorton)
Date: 1 Jul 1996 04:01:52 GMT

I have a Ficus Benj. that appears to be bearing some type of
little berries.  They're green and appear in pairs.  They're maybe
one-eighth to one-quarter inch in diameter.  I've noticed about 3
or 4 spots on the tree where this is occuring.

It's about 3 feet tall and I've had it for 3 years.  It's quite
healthy.

What are these little berries?  I never saw any flowers.  Anyone
know?

______________________________________________________

Jim Yorton                              [email-masked]
Zone 5, Palatine, IL USA     http://www.xnet.com/~jjy/
______________________________________________________

---

From: [email-masked] (ima pseudonym)
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 04:44:26

>What are these little berries?  I never saw any flowers.  Anyone

Figs are actually hollow inflorescences with many tiny flowers on the inside.  
[think of a compositae-type  disk turned into a hollow flask with only a small 
opening]

Yours won't ripen or produce seed without pollination [each of the 
hundreds of fig species has a symbiotic fig wasp that breeds in the figs and 
effects pollination; it is one of the most remarkable symbioses in nature].  

Most varieties of home garden edible fig tree are parthenocarpic,  ripening 
without pollination & without any viable seeds.

---

From: [email-masked] (Doug Scofield)
Date: 1 Jul 1996 15:37:44 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (ima pseudonym) writes:
|> In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (James Yorton) writes:
|> >I have a Ficus Benj. that appears to be bearing some type of
|> >little berries.  They're green and appear in pairs. 
|> 
|> Most varieties of home garden edible fig tree are parthenocarpic,  ripening 
|> without pollination & without any viable seeds.

Just as a side note on _Ficus benjamina_, it is one of the common landscape
trees here in South Florida, my apt. complex has several planted along the
drives.  From what i heard, the pollinator wasp has finallly made it to
Florida in the past few years.  Having seen seedling _F. benjamina_ sprouting
>from  _Sabal palmetto_ boots i'd have to agree.  We may have another problem
tree on our hands...

doog
--
doug scofield                                       [email-masked]
boca raton, florida                           also [email-masked]
           every day we starve while we eat white bread and 
           beer instead of a handshake or hug -- jewel

---

From: Helen+Paul <[email-masked]>
Date: 2 Jul 1996 07:07:57 GMT

Hi James

Yes that sounds like the fruits, they should go red then blackish 
eventually.  Figs bear their flowers inside the fruit so you wouldn't 
have seen them.  Tear one open and if it has lots of little (how do I 
describe it?) fluffy pointy bits (aaargh!) and is hollow then it most 
probably is the fruit.  If you have ever had a fresh edible fig (Ficus 
carica) and opened it you would have seen similar 'things' in the middle.

Regards
Paul K.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 15:24:36 GMT

Figs of course!