Capparis
Encyclopedia
Capparis is a flowering plant
genus
in the family
Capparaceae
which is included in the Brassicaceae
in the unrevised APG II system
. These plants are shrub
s or liana
s and are collectively known as caper shrubs or caperbushes. Capparis species occur over a wide range of habitat
in the subtropical
and tropical
zones.
Caperbushes are mainly used by humans for their fruit, which are rich in micronutrient
s. C. spinosa, simply known as caper
, yields fruit and more importantly flower buds, which are widely used pickled
as a vegetable condiment
. The fruit of other species
, such as karir (C. decidua), are also used for cooking; C. mitchellii
and the Wild passionfruit (the local subspecies
of C. spinosa) are well-known bush tucker in Australia
. Mabinlang seeds (C. masaikai) are eaten as sweets.
Mabinlang is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
. Aspalathos, the root of a shrub contained for example in the sacred Ancient Egypt
ian incense
kp.t (kyphi
), is sometimes considered to be C. spinosa. Other species have also recorded uses in herbalism
and folk medicine
; dedicated research is largely lacking however. Mabinlin
s are sweet-tasting protein
s found in Mabinlang seed (and possibly in other Capparis species); at least one of them is highly resistant to heat. The market for mabinlins is presently not large, but this is mainly due to insufficient supply rather than to lack of demand.
Caperbushes from arid
regions - chiefly C. decidua - are highly useful in landscape gardening, afforestation
and reforestation
. They can stop soil erosion and preserve agricultural land. Any large-flowered species can be used to attract butterflies
. The Crimson Rose (Atrophaneura hector), a spectacular swallowtail butterfly
of South Asia
, likes to visit flowers of C. spinosa in the winter months for example.
The fruit and seeds of caperbushes are relished by many bird
s and other animals such as spiny-tailed lizards. Capparis plants are highly important as food for certain Lepidoptera
caterpillar
s, many of them Colotini
or Pierini
:
The plant pathogenic ascomycete fungus
Mycosphaerella capparis was described from a caperbush. Some species of Capparis are becoming rare, mainly due to habitat destruction
, and a few are seriously threatened with extinction.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Capparaceae
Capparaceae
Capparaceae , commonly known as the Caper family, is a family of plants in order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, it contains 33 genera and about 700 species...
which is included in the Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
in the unrevised APG II system
APG II system
The APG II system of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was a revision of the first APG system, published in 1998, and was superseded in 2009...
. These plants are shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s and are collectively known as caper shrubs or caperbushes. Capparis species occur over a wide range of habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
in the subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
and tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
zones.
Uses and ecology
Micronutrient
Micronutrients are nutrients required by humans and other living things throughout life in small quantities to orchestrate a whole range of physiological functions, but which the organism itself cannot produce. For people, they include dietary trace minerals in amounts generally less than 100...
s. C. spinosa, simply known as caper
Caper
Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, is a perennial winter-deciduous species that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant...
, yields fruit and more importantly flower buds, which are widely used pickled
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
as a vegetable condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
. The fruit of other species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, such as karir (C. decidua), are also used for cooking; C. mitchellii
Capparis mitchellii
The "Wild Orange" is an Australian native plant. Its scientific name is Capparis mitchellii; it is not related to oranges and neither to the Osage-orange which is known as "wild orange" in North America, but to capers. Its name in the Arrernte language of Central Australia is merne atwakeye.Wild...
and the Wild passionfruit (the local subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of C. spinosa) are well-known bush tucker in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Mabinlang seeds (C. masaikai) are eaten as sweets.
Mabinlang is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. Aspalathos, the root of a shrub contained for example in the sacred Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
kp.t (kyphi
Kyphi
Kyphi is a compound incense that was used in ancient Egypt for religious and medical purposes. The term "kyphi" is Greek and a transcription of the ancient Egyptian term kp.t.-Historical references:...
), is sometimes considered to be C. spinosa. Other species have also recorded uses in herbalism
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
and folk medicine
Folk medicine
-Description:Refers to healing practices and ideas of body physiology and health preservation known to a limited segment of the population in a culture, transmitted informally as general knowledge, and practiced or applied by anyone in the culture having prior experience.All cultures and societies...
; dedicated research is largely lacking however. Mabinlin
Mabinlin
Mabinlins are sweet-tasting proteins extracted from the seed of Mabinlang , a Chinese plant growing in Yunnan province. There are four homologues. Mabinlin-2 was first isolated in 1983 and characterised in 1993, and is the most extensively studied of the four...
s are sweet-tasting protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s found in Mabinlang seed (and possibly in other Capparis species); at least one of them is highly resistant to heat. The market for mabinlins is presently not large, but this is mainly due to insufficient supply rather than to lack of demand.
Caperbushes from arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
regions - chiefly C. decidua - are highly useful in landscape gardening, afforestation
Afforestation
Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of forest cover, either naturally or artificially...
and reforestation
Reforestation
Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
. They can stop soil erosion and preserve agricultural land. Any large-flowered species can be used to attract butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. The Crimson Rose (Atrophaneura hector), a spectacular swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
of South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, likes to visit flowers of C. spinosa in the winter months for example.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and other animals such as spiny-tailed lizards. Capparis plants are highly important as food for certain Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s, many of them Colotini
Colotini
Colotini is a tribe of pierid butterflies in the subfamily Pierinae....
or Pierini
Pierini
Pierini is a tribe of butterflies within the family Pieridae.-Genera:Listed alphabetically.*Aoa de Nicéville, 1898*Aporia Hübner, [1819] – Blackveins*Appias Hübner, [1819] – Puffins and Albatrosses*Archonias Hübner, 1825...
:
- Appias lyncidaAppias lyncidaChocolate Albatross , Appias lyncida is a butterfly of the Family Pieridae, that is, the Yellows and Whites, which is found in South and South East Asia.-Range:...
(Chocolate Albatross) - recorded on C. heyneana and C. roxburghii - Astraptes fulgerator (Two-barred Flasher) - recorded on C. frondosa
- Belenois aurota (Caper White or Pioneer) - recorded on C. zeylanica
- Cepora nerissaCepora nerissaThe Common Gull is a small to medium-sized butterfly of the Family Pieridae, that is, the Yellows and Whites, which is native to India.-Wet-season brood:...
(Common Gull) - mainly on C. zeylanica - Hebomoia glaucippeHebomoia glaucippeThe Great Orange Tip is a butterfly belonging to the Pieridae family, that is the Yellows and Whites Butterflies.-Subspecies:Hebomoia glaucippe has the following 27 supspecies:-Wet-season brood:...
(Great Orangetip) - recorded on C. monii, C. roxburghii and C. "sepiaria" - Ixias marianneIxias marianneIxias marianne, commonly known as the white orange tip, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, found in India and Sri Lanka.-Description:...
(White Orangetip) - recorded on C. grandis - Leptosia ninaLeptosia ninaThe Psyche is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae and is found in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The upper forewing has a black spot on a mainly white background. The flight is weak and erratic and the body of the butterfly bobs up and down as it beats its wings...
(Psyche) - recorded on C. zeylanica and others - Pareronia ceylonica (Dark Wanderer) - recorded on C. heyneana
- Pareronia valeriaPareronia valeriaThe Common Wanderer is a medium sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the Yellows and Whites, and is found in India.-Description:...
(Common Wanderer) - recorded on C. zeylanica
The plant pathogenic ascomycete fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
Mycosphaerella capparis was described from a caperbush. Some species of Capparis are becoming rare, mainly due to habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
, and a few are seriously threatened with extinction.
Selected species
- Capparis acutifolia Sweet
- Capparis arboreaCapparis arboreaCapparis arborea is a bush or small tree occurring in eastern Australia. The habitat is rainforest; usually riverine, littoral or the drier rainforests. Distributed from the Hunter River, New South Wales to Cape Melville in tropical Queensland...
(F.Muell.) MaidenJoseph MaidenJoseph Henry Maiden was a botanist who made a major contribution to knowledge of the Australian flora, especially the Eucalyptus genus. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Maiden when citing a botanical name.Joseph Maiden was born in St John's Wood, London...
– Brush Caper - Capparis baducca L.
- Capparis crotonanthaCapparis crotonanthaCapparis crotonantha is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Panama.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Standl.Paul Carpenter StandleyPaul Carpenter Standley was an American botanist.Standley was born in Avalon, Missouri... - Capparis cynophallophoraCapparis cynophallophoraCapparis cyanophallophora, commonly known as the Jamaican Caper, is small tree in the caper family, Capparaceae, that is native to the neotropics.-Description:...
L. – Jamaican Caper - Capparis deciduaCapparis deciduaCapparis decidua is commonly known as kerda, kair, karir, kirir, karril, etc. .- Tree characteristics :...
(Forssk.) Edgew. (= C. aphylla) – karir (kirir, k(h)air, karril, etc)
- Capparis discolorCapparis discolorCapparis discolor is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
J.D.Smith - Capparis elegansCapparis elegansCapparis elegans is a flowering plant species in the genus Capparis found in Brazil....
Mart. - Capparis fascicularisCapparis fascicularisThe Zigzag Caper-bush is a plant in the Capparaceae family and is native to Africa.-Taxonomy:This species has multiple synonyms. The species is said to comprise of 3 varieties, but 4 are listed:...
DC.- Capparis fascicularis var. fascicularis
- Capparis flexuosa L. – Limber Caper
- Capparis frondosa Jacq.
- Capparis grandis
- Capparis hastataCapparis hastataCapparis hastata is a plant species in the genus Capparis....
Jacq. – Broadleaf Caper - Capparis heterophyllaCapparis heterophyllaCapparis heterophylla is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
Ruiz & Pav. ex DC. - Capparis heyneana
- Capparis humistrata (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
- Capparis indica (L.) Druce
- Capparis incana Kunth – Hoary Caper
- Capparis lasiantha R.Br. ex DC.
- Capparis lucida (DC.) R.Br. ex Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- Capparis masaikaiCapparis masaikaiCapparis masaikai, known as Mabinlang, grow in the subtropical region of the Yunnan province ofChina and bear fruits of tennis-ball size. The matured seed are used in traditional Chinese medicine....
Levl. – Mabinlang - Capparis micracantha DC.
- Capparis mirificaCapparis mirificaCapparis mirifica is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Standl. - Capparis mitchelliiCapparis mitchelliiThe "Wild Orange" is an Australian native plant. Its scientific name is Capparis mitchellii; it is not related to oranges and neither to the Osage-orange which is known as "wild orange" in North America, but to capers. Its name in the Arrernte language of Central Australia is merne atwakeye.Wild...
Lindl. – "wild orangeWild orangeWild orange refers to plants bearing fruit reminiscent of oranges. They are not necessarily related to family Rutaceae however:* Capparis mitchellii - family Capparaceae, from Australia...
" (Australia), merne atwakeye (Arrernte) - Capparis mollicellaCapparis mollicellaCapparis mollicella is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Mexico and Costa Rica.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Standl. - Capparis monii
- Capparis nobilis (Endl.) F.Muell. ex Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- Capparis ornans F.Muell. ex Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- Capparis pachyphyllaCapparis pachyphyllaCapparis pachyphylla is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to India.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Jacobs - Capparis panamensisCapparis panamensisCapparis panamensis is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Panama. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Iltis - Capparis prisca J.F.Macbr.
- Capparis pyrifolia – Pea-leaved Caper
- Capparis roxburghii
- Capparis sandwichianaCapparis sandwichianaCapparis sandwichiana is a species of flowering plant in the Capparaceae family that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Common names include Maiapilo, Pua pilo, and Hawaiian Caper. C. sandwichiana can be found on the main islands, Midway Atoll, the Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Laysan...
DC. – Hawaiian Caper, Maiapilo, Pua pilo (HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
endemic) - Capparis sepiaria L. – a cryptic species complexCryptic species complexIn biology, a cryptic species complex is a group of species which satisfy the biological definition of species—that is, they are reproductively isolated from each other—but whose morphology is very similar ....
- Capparis sepiaria var. citrifolia (Lam.) Tölken
- Capparis sepiaria var. subglabra (Oliv.) De Wolf
- Capparis shanesiana F.Muell.
- Capparis spinosa L. – CaperCaperCapparis spinosa, the caper bush, is a perennial winter-deciduous species that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant...
- Capparis spinosa ssp. nummulariaCapparis spinosa subsp. nummulariaWild passionfruit, or "caperbush" is an Australian native plant. It is a subspecies of the caper.Its name in the Arrernte language of Central Australia is Merne arrutnenge....
– Wild passionfruit, merne arrutnenge (Arrernte)
- Capparis spinosa ssp. nummularia
- Capparis spruceiCapparis spruceiCapparis sprucei is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Peru.-References:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
EichlerAugust W. EichlerAugust Wilhelm Eichler, also known under his Latinized name, Augustus Guilielmus Eichler , was a German botanist who modified the classification system to better reflect the relationships between plants... - Capparis thozetiana (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
- Capparis tomentosaCapparis tomentosaThe Woolly Caper Bush is a plant in the Capparaceae family and is native to Africa.-Distribution:Found in bushveld and forest from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo Province, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and into Tropical Africa...
Lam. - Capparis unifloraCapparis unifloraCapparis uniflora is a species of plant in the Capparaceae family. It is endemic to Panama.-Source:* Mitré, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
Woodson - Capparis zeylandica L. (= C. linearis Blanco) – kapchip (WayuunaikiWayuu languageThe Wayuu language, or Goajiro , is spoken by 305,000 indigenous Wayuu people in northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela on the Guajira Peninsula....
)
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