A female wasp, reaching one of these figs, tunnels her way through a needle-sized opening at the fig’s base. When a fig is ready to be pollinated, it emits a scent alluring only to the fig’s partner wasps. By sealing themselves off to the outside world, these blossoms triggered what was to become one of nature’s most enduring and mutualistic partnerships. No longer would any other creature – from bees to birds, bats or even the wind, assist the plant in pollination. This seismic shift changed the course of history for both organisms: For the fig plant, this evolutionary adaptation meant committing the highest form of monogamy. It’s thought that sometime before the plant and wasp’s fortuitous encounter, the flowers on fig plants turned quietly inward, coming to form the floral caverns we know today. The fig–wasp association is prehistoric, the origins of which have been dated as far back as 90 million years ago (35 million years prior to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs). These incredibly synchronised relationships didn’t just happen overnight. 3ĭid you know that figs are a key species used in reforestation? Learn more about how figs impact biodiveristy here. ![]() Of the 850+ types of fig plant, almost all have their own species of fig wasp which has uniquely adapted to its partner fig (although certain wasp species have evolved to be generalists, allowing them to pollinate a number of fig plants). It is a relationship so complex, it can be difficult for us to understand who initiated it, and who is getting the better of the bargain. Fig plants need fig waspsįig plants have remarkable relationships with fig wasps. Only one small but significant visitor has successfully undertaken such a task: the fig wasp.Īt the size of a mosquito, this tiny invertebrate gives its life in service to pollinating the fig, and in return, each fig provides a safe and accommodating nursery to hatch and raise young.ĭid you know that drones can be used to pollinate some agricultural crops? Read about pollination here. But, as you can imagine, pollinating the fig’s internal flowers is nothing short of mission impossible. 1 How are figs pollinatedīecause figs are technically the flowers of a fig plant and not fruit, in order for the plant to reproduce, these flowers need to be pollinated. Cut open a fig, and the psychedelic maze you see within are individual flowers, and the crunchy bits, the seeds of each flower. That's right – what most of us would have smugly placed in the ‘fruit’ divide is actually not a fruit at all, but an inflorescence, a core of hundreds of tiny, delicate flowers, clustered within a bulbous stem. ![]() But while this botanical treachery has been exposed in some cases, others have managed to slip under the radar: Right under our noses, the fig has been masquerading as a fruit. Granted that most of us are now well aware that tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits and not vegetables, while an aubergine, interestingly, is actually a kind of berry – and the same goes for bananas. Our local supermarkets are a categorical minefield. What are figs? Figs are flowers, not fruits So what exactly are figs, how are figs pollinated, what is a fig wasp, and why are they so special? But a quick look into the lives of figs reveals an entirely different picture: a remarkable and complex partnership between figs and wasps - plant and pollinator. If you’re like me, you’ve probably given little thought to figs – aside from how delicious they are.
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