Hi Axier,

Do you think Noire de B. might be a mutation of Bourjassotte? How similar are the leaves? I have a small NdB, thanks to someone here on the forum, and am also eager to see what the fruit is like.

That is the KIND of my ideal fig skin (together with a DARK
REDISH inside) that makes my mouth water just by seeeing
a pictuce!... Hopefully it is productive and tastes
good too!.

Hi Gene and Gorgi,

Gene, I don't know if it is a mutation of Burjassotte. I have read several french books and nobody suggest this possibility, but it could be so, why not! Barbentane is from unknown origin.
The leaves are in both cases big but they differer in the number of "fingers", Burjassotte tends to have five and Barbentane to have three. The tree form in Burjassotte is less upright than Barbentane.

Here you can see the leaves and the fig inside (from Pierre Baud book "Figues"):

Nice scans, Axier. Yes, those leaves do look different.

I'll have to go home tonight and talk to my figs -- maybe I can convince them to grow faster.

A beautiful fig Axier.

Yes, it is a beautiful fig, this is one of the reasons to be a good commercial fig.

Regarding the Burjassotte above picture, I have to do one explanation; the pale green color of the leaves is not a scan defect, it is a characteristic of Burjassotte and one difference with respect to Barbentane, which has a deeper green leaves.

A number of characteristics of the Noire de Barberentane fig remind me of the Violette de Bordeaux formerly sold by Paradise Nursery. I have not concluded that it is the same fig, but many characteristics are similar. The almost spherical shape of the fig, the deep purple color of the skin, the prominence of the white specks on the skin, the red color of the pulp, the paleness of the leaves, and the shape and serration of the leaves. Regardless, any way you "cut it", it is a lovely fig!

Just for curiosity, I have reopened this post because I have found by chance the below picture and it has caught my attention the (known) similitude between Bourjassotte and Barbentane, despite they are clearly two different varieties!
(source of the picture: http://saveurpassion.over-blog.com)

Axier:
Hope you are well!
Very informative photo and comparison.
Excellent follow up.