Ficus carica sylvestris
- noun
- Specialized
- The caprifig, or Ficus carica sylvestris, is often planted near orchards to aid pollination.
Examples
-
Wild populations of Ficus carica sylvestris play an important role in the ecosystem of the Mediterranean region.
-
Botanists studied Ficus carica sylvestris to better understand the genetic diversity within the fig species.
-
The Ficus carica sylvestris thrives in Mediterranean climates.
-
Did you know that Ficus carica sylvestris is essential for pollination?
-
The caprifig, or Ficus carica sylvestris, is often planted near orchards to aid pollination.
-
Wild populations of Ficus carica sylvestris play an important role in the ecosystem of the Mediterranean region.
-
Botanists studied Ficus carica sylvestris to better understand the genetic diversity within the fig species.
Synonyms
A wild fig tree that helps pollinate figs on farms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ficus + carica + sylvestris
This is a botanical Latin name: 'Ficus' denotes the fig genus and 'sylvestris' is a Latin epithet meaning 'of the woods' or 'wild', so a learner who knows those constituents and the convention of Latin species names can infer it refers to a wild variety of fig. However, the specific epithet 'carica' and the specialized function noted ('used to facilitate pollination') are technical details not predictable from the surface words alone, so full meaning is only partly derivable.
Etymology
Ficus carica sylvestris is the wild 'caprifig', a fig tree farmers planted near orchards to attract tiny wasps that carry pollen. The parts Ficus and sylvestris mean 'fig' and 'wild', and because these wild figs bring the wasps that help the orchard figs make fruit, the name points to a plant that 'helps' other figs.