This is likely to tbe the cultivated form of Ficus carica which is probably native only in the east of the Mediterranean region. There was some evidence that the rough land in this part of the Cretan countryside had once been under cultivation which would explain why this tree was there. The fruits have been a staple of the region for centuries and the "man-made" form produces fruit without the female flowers needing to be pollinated (they are parthenocarpic meaning virgin fruit) and so the fig is seedless.

Countryside outside Ano Stallos, Crete 8th April 2007

Added 15th January 2009, updated 31st March 2010, updated 15th May 2015