Some of you have probably heard of the Christmas carol that goes something like this, “We wish you a merry christmas… oh, bring us some figgy pudding.” But have you ever stopped and wondered what exactly figgy pudding is? Or better, what are figs?
Naturally, figs have an interesting way of reproducing. They have a mutualistic relationship with fig wasps, which means that one can’t survive without the other. Thanks, evolution. Today, I’ll tell you the story of fig babies.
To understand the setting of the story better, let me explain the anatomy of the fig plants. There are male fig plants and female fig plants. They differ in that the male flowers have a large cavity that the female lacks. Fig fruits are the final product of fig flowers that grow inwardly. Because they grow inwardly, it is harder to pollinate female fig plants. The only insects that can do this is the fig wasps. However, it is a brutal and unfortunate story for them.
The entire process is a cycle. We can start at the male fig plant and a pregnant female fig wasp. The wasp is naturally wired to lay her eggs in the plant. In order to get in, the wasp flies through the ostiole, a very tight entry, in the male fig plant. As she is doing this, parts of her body, like her wings and legs, break. After laying her eggs, she is no longer able to escape and eventually dies of starvation. Then, the fig plant uses enzymes to break down her body into proteins.
Then, the eggs begin to hatch inside the male fig plant. The male fig wasps are born sightless and wingless. On the other hand, the female fig wasps can see and fly. The reason for this genetic difference comes quickly after they hatch. While they are in the fig plant, the male fig wasps mate with the female fig wasps. (So yes, technically, they are siblings. But it is okay because.. ) The female fig wasps now carry their eggs and the male fig plants’ pollen. Because of their small size, they can squeeze out of the tight entry and fly out of the plant. Unlike their sisters/mates, the male fig wasps eventually succumb to their mother’s fate and become decomposed by the enzyme.
The now-pregnant female fig wasps can either fly into male fig flowers or female fig flowers. When it flies into male fig flowers, the cycle of the fig wasp life continues as previously described. However, remember that cavity that female fig flowers lack while their male counterparts have? When the wasp flies into female fig flowers, it is stuck there. It is unable to lay its eggs because it is digested by the plant’s enzymes. At the same time, though, it has transferred the pollen from the male fig plants, thereby successfully continuing the cycle of the fig life!
The End
It is equally important to point out the two types of figs that you can find in markets: fresh and dried. Fresh figs belong to artificial varieties that do not require pollination to behold fruit, while the dried figs undergo the natural pollination, involving the fig wasps.
In case you’re thinking about these questions now…
“SO ARE THERE WASPS IN MY FIGS?” Nope, thanks to those wasp-body-breaking-down enzymes in the figs.
“Does figgy pudding contain figs?” : Most modern recipes no longer call for figs. It earned this name because earlier Victorian recipes incorporated any type of dried fruit.