English: Fig Tree (Ficus Carica) - detail The fig is indigenous to Persia, Asia Minor and Syria, but it also grows in the milder parts of Europe, where it is being cultivated in the Mediterranean countries. The fruit of the fig tree, eaten fresh or dried, has been valued from antiquity. For the people of ancient Greece figs were such an important part of their staple diet that it was forbidden by law to export the best fruit from their trees. Dried figs have been found in Pompeii, and Pliny gives details of 29 different varieties known in his day. For more information see http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/figcom12.html