3101.000 Capparis L.

Description of the genus

Shrubs or small trees, often climbing; branches often spiny. Leaves simple, entire. Inflorescences of terminal or axillary racemes, sometimes condensed into corymbs or umbels. Flowers bisexual. Sepals 4. Petals usually 4. Stamens 6-many. Androgynophore very short. Gynophore present. Fruit a usually indehiscent, spherical, ovoid or elongated berry.

Worldwide: 250 species in tropical and warm regions

Botswana: 3 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Belenois aurota (Brown-veined white)
Belenois gidica (African veined white)
Belenois thysa (False dotted border)
Colotis amata (Topaz tip, Topaz arab)
Colotis evenina (Common orange tip)
Colotis evippe (Smoky orange tip)
Colotis pallene (Bushveld orange tip)
Leptosia alcesta (African wood white)
Capparis tomentosa

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
fascicularis DC. var. elaeagnoides (Gilg) DeWolfN
sepiaria L. var. subglabra (Oliv.) DeWolfDescription, Image
tomentosa Lam.NDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Capparis:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: Capparis
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Capparis
Flora of Malawi: Capparis
Flora of Mozambique: Capparis
Flora of Zambia: Capparis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Capparis

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Capparis
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Capparis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Capparis
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Capparis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Capparis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Capparis
JSTOR Plant Science: Capparis
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Capparis
Plants of the World Online: Capparis
Tropicos: Capparis
Wikipedia: Capparis

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Genus page: Capparis.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=630, retrieved 24 April 2024

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