Like other trees in arid regions, the fig tree is barely known in agronomy.
Its lineage is traditional of dry land, even though the covering of the irrigated land is improving in particular areas with tremendous economic proceeds. But what is fig classified as? Is fig a fruit?
Odds are you probably know figs as sweet, pear-shaped fruits frequently consumed in a dried form. But, whatever you may have believed about figs in the past, trash it. Because truthfully, figs are precisely flowers.
This might sound confusing, but just give some minutes to explain to you why fig is classified as flower!
Table of Contents
What are Figs?
From a rigidly biological perspective, different from what you and many others think, Figs are not entirely fruits but a gathering of inverted flowers and seeds pollinated by a type of minute symbiotic wasps.
Figs are of the species Ficus carica and grow on great trees called fig trees that can exceed 10 meters in length, but those in marketable farmsteads are usually maintained as small trees having about 3 to 4 branches. Their leaves are green with stiff and tough hairs in reversal. The trunk is massive and crooked.
The tree branches don't have flowers since they evolve inside the fruit and are very little. The whole container of the flower turns fleshy when it grows, and this is why figs are contained in the classification of a false fruit.
The root system is very strong and enables its soil to open up to tremendous midst and soil, assisting long periods of drought. They have even seen fig trees that grow on rock cracks.
See Also: Is Lychee a Fruit? (Lychee Classification)
Is Fig a Fruit?
Despite these technical facts, in non-scientific situations, it is proper to call figs fruits.
Figs grow in trees called fig trees, which are robust trees that can grow up to 10 meters. Their roots are very strong, and their little flowers' transformation results in what we call the fig. But even at that, figs, different from what people understand, are not fruits.
It is a fleshy container called syconium, having a pear form, including the masculine and feminine flowers that will reproduce small fruits named "achenes" and are also recognized as pips.
It is, thus, multiple fruits. The fleshy and sweet portion of the fig or syconium communicates to the flowers that it will protrude and become fleshy after fertilization.
Figs are, hence, soft fruits with a thin skin whose color ranges from green to purple, while the flesh is red or white.
Relying on the variety, it is spherical or flattened, although its shape is mostly wider than high.
Why are Figs Classified as Flowers?
The male fig flower is the only area where the female wasp can set her eggs, at the underside of a lean opening in the fruit that she shimmies her way through. The baby wasps develop in the fig into males that have strong teeth but no wings and females ready to fly.
They copulate; the males munch through the special fig pollen lodgers and lower them down to the females, bite holes in the surface of the fig to let the females out, and then perish.
The females, equipped with the pollen, fly off in a quest to locate new male figs to set their eggs in. In the procedure, some female wasps land on female figs that don't have the unique egg container but fool the female into shimmying inside.
As the female wasp slips through the thin passage in the fig, her wings are knocked off, and while she is vain in laying her eggs, she triumphantly pollinates the female flower. The female flower then matures into the fig you can buy at the supermarket, absorbing the trapped wasp with special enzymes.
So, technically talking, figs are not a fruit, but instead, they are inverted flowers.
Is Fig a False Fruit?
A "true" fruit consists of a solitary plant ovum from just one flower. The fig is therefore evaluated to be a false fruit.
It is a container that includes hundreds of small fruits, generally called pips. It is utilized for consumption in delicate, dried, as a puree for candies, tinned, or crystallized.
See Also: Is an Onion a Vegetable?
Are Figs Wasp Eggs?
Not at all; I mentioned that earlier. Even though female wasps lay eggs inside a fig fruit, the crunch you feel when chewing a fig isn't from those eggs.
All wasps have either escaped the fig, or their exoskeletons have been disassembled and assimilated.
Are Figs Safe to Eat?
In the circumstances of the pollination process, yes, figs are good to be eaten and wouldn't have any adverse effects, but they have a minor laxative impact. They should not be eaten excessively, especially when dried.
NOTE: If you're suffering from constipation, take a small number of these tasty fruits, and you will be good to go!
Figs belong to a few foods that comprise an average proportion of oxalates. When oxalates become too potent in body fluids, they can consolidate and bring health problems.
For this purpose, individuals with already prevailing and or unattended kidney or gallbladder issues may have to resist eating figs and talking it over with their healthcare provider and other foods that include oxalates.
What Does Fig Taste Like?
Figs are the edible offsprings of the ficus tree, which belongs to the mulberry family (Moraceae).
They have an unusually sweet taste, are delicate and have a chewy composition, and are littered with little crunchy, edible seeds.
Fresh figs are elegant and perishable, frequently dried to maintain them. This generates a sweet and nourishing dried fruit that can be relished all year round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I eat raw figs?
Yes, of course! Fresh figs are normally consumed raw. They taste nice when taken straight off the tree, preferably still warm from the sun.
What are the side effects of figs?
Figs may result in stomach upset or diarrhea owing to their anti-constipation effects. They may also hinder blood thinners, and some people may be sensitive to them.
How many figs should I eat in a day?
A little amount, about 3 to 5 dried figs relying on the species.
How can you tell when a fig is ripe?
It's quite easy! By viewing alone, you'll see that ripe figs are inclined to dangle while attached to the tree or bush and have a bigger distinct size than the immature green ones. The peculiarity of a few variations will have a color difference. By touching also, ripe figs would be delicate when gently clasped. Unripe figs continue to be solid.
Does fig increase sperm count?
Actually, yes, it does! Fig fruits are abundant in zinc. As an effect, figs generally have a wonderful way of stimulating your testosterone levels. Figs contain a high grade of antioxidants and important nutrients and minerals. As a result, it can help enhance sperm motility and count.
See Also: What is the Origin of Broccoli?
Conclusion
The question "is fig a fruit" is quite a tricky one. The technicalities in the answer are quite extensive. The fig is a false fruit or what we'll call multiple fruits, in which the flowers and seeds mature together to establish a single mass.
Each fruit can have up to several hundred to several thousand seeds depending on the type. A fig "fruit" is developed from a particular category of an arrangement of numerous flowers.
Thank you for reading!
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