Propagule viability is the likelihood that a piece of plant material can successfully produce a new plant. Propagules include seeds, cuttings, graft wood, air layers, and tissue-culture plantlets.

In fig propagation, viability depends on healthy wood, moisture, dormancy stage, storage conditions, temperature exposure, disease, and time since collection. A cutting can look acceptable but have poor viability if it was dried, frozen, overheated, or mislabeled.

Protandry means male function maturing before female function in practical plant language. Protandry should be used with specific symptoms, timing, and photos. Accurate diagnosis matters because insect feeding, disease, nutrient stress, water stress, and weather injury can produce superficially similar problems on figs.

Protogyny is a term used in plant biology—and particularly in fig cultivation—to describe a specialized flowering pattern where the female reproductive parts (stigmas) mature before the male parts (anthers) within the same flower or inflorescence. In figs (Ficus species), this plays a crucial ecological and horticultural role: In caprifigs (the wild, male-bearing type used for Smyrna fig pollination), the fig’s internal structure (called the syconium) houses both female and male flowers. A protogynous sequence ensures that the female flowers inside the fig become receptive first, allowing pollen-laden female wasps to enter and fertilize them. Later, the interior male flowers release pollen, which fertilize developing seeds or drift back onto wasps destined for new figs. This timing sequence is vital for the fig–wasp mutualism, ensuring cross-pollination, avoiding the flower fertilizing itself prematurely, and supporting the complex lifecycle of fig wasps that carry pollen from one fig to another. Even within figs that don’t rely on pollination (common-type figs used for fresh eating), understanding protogyny helps explain why some figs have closed eyes and parthenocarpic fruit development. Dichogamy in Fruit Crops, An overview on Ficus pollination with some notes on Ficus carica, Fig-Biology-by-J-Galil Protogyny in figs refers to a built-in flowering schedule where the female parts mature before the male parts—a natural sequence that promotes cross-pollination and supports figure wasp life cycles. This biological feature is instrumental in sustaining both wild and cultivated fig varieties, helping explain how figs reproduce and how their ecosystems remain balanced.

Provenance is a term used for the documented source and history of plant material.

Provenance is most useful when paired with accurate labels and source history. In fig collecting, shorthand or naming terms should never replace careful provenance, photos, and grower notes.

In horticulture, Proximal End describes the end closest to the base or point of attachment. For pruning, grafting, and variety notes, Proximal End should be recorded with its position on the shoot so the observation can be connected to buds, fruiting sites, dieback, or new growth.

For Proximal End, record where it occurs on the shoot or trunk; that position can affect pruning decisions, regrowth after winter injury, grafting, and fruiting wood.

Prune means to selectively remove plant parts such as shoots, branches, roots, leaves, or fruit. Pruning can shape a tree, remove dead wood, control size, improve light, renew fruiting wood, or reduce disease pressure. For figs, pruning depends on climate and crop goals. Heavy winter pruning can remove breba wood, while summer pinching or thinning can influence branching and main-crop development.

PS is an abbreviation whose meaning depends on the fig context. It may appear in collector notes, source labels, or shorthand communication.

Because PS can mean different things in different communities, Fig Database should avoid expanding it unless the specific record confirms the intended meaning. Ambiguous abbreviations are best preserved with context rather than guessed.

Pubescent refers to covered with fine hairs.. . Pubescent is most useful when it is tied to the exact plant part, season, cultivar, and growing conditions being described.

Public Domain Cultivar refers to a cultivar not restricted by active proprietary rights.

Public Domain Cultivar is most useful when paired with accurate labels and source history. In fig collecting, shorthand or naming terms should never replace careful provenance, photos, and grower notes.

In horticulture, Pulp Cavity describes the soft internal area containing pulp and achenes.. . When describing Pulp Cavity, use fruit at a known ripeness stage and note whether it is breba or main crop, since weather, pollination, and harvest timing can change the observation.

Pulp Color is a term used for the visible color of the fig interior.. . When describing Pulp Color, use fruit at a known ripeness stage and note whether it is breba or main crop, since weather, pollination, and harvest timing can change the observation.

Pulp Density means the firmness or looseness of the fig interior in practical plant language.. . When describing Pulp Density, use fruit at a known ripeness stage and note whether it is breba or main crop, since weather, pollination, and harvest timing can change the observation.

Quarantine Hold means temporary holding to reduce pest or disease risk in practical plant language.. . Quarantine Hold is most useful when it is tied to the exact plant part, season, cultivar, and growing conditions being described.

Quarantine Pest means a pest regulated to prevent spread in practical plant language. Related glossary ideas include integrated pest management. Quarantine Pest should be used with specific symptoms, timing, and photos. Accurate diagnosis matters because insect feeding, disease, nutrient stress, water stress, and weather injury can produce superficially similar problems on figs.

In horticulture, Radiational Freeze describes a freeze caused by heat loss under clear calm conditions.. . Radiational Freeze is most useful when it is tied to the exact plant part, season, cultivar, and growing conditions being described.

Raised Bed is a term used for a planting bed elevated above surrounding grade.. . Raised Bed is most useful when it is tied to the exact plant part, season, cultivar, and growing conditions being described.