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Capparis
Maiapilo (Capparis sandwichiana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Capparaceae
Tribe:	Cappareae
Genus:	Capparis L. (1753)
Species
142, see text
Synonyms
Anisosticte Bartl. (1830) Apophyllum F.Muell. (1857) Busbeckea Endl. (1833) Calyptranthus Thouars (1811) Destrugesia Gaudich. (1842) Destruguezia Benth. & Hook.f. (1862), orth. var. Dhofaria A.G.Mill. (1988) Hombak Adans. (1763) Marsesina Raf. (1838) Oligloron Raf. (1838) Olofuton Raf. (1838) Petersia Klotzsch (1861) Sodada Forssk. (1775)

Capparis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Capparaceae. It includes 142 species of shrubs or lianas which are collectively known as caper shrubs or caperbushes. Capparis species occur over a wide range of habitat in the subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Eurasia, Australasia, and the Pacific.

The genus was included in the family Brassicaceae in the unrevised APG II system.

Plant description

The leaves are simple, entire, and rarely reduced. Flowers are bisexual, bracteates, axillary or supra-axillary, solitary or in rows, in racemes or umbels. Sepals and petals are 4 in number and are free. Stamens are many, ovary on a gynophore, one-celled. Fruit is a berry, globose or ellipsoid.

Uses and ecology

Caperbushes are mainly used by humans for their fruit, which are rich in micronutrients. C. spinosa, simply known as caper, yields fruit and more importantly flower buds, which are widely used pickled as a vegetable condiment. The flower bud has been used since antiquity, and many classical authors indicate that the berry or small white blossom was commonly used as an aphrodisiac and a condiment. The plant is known in classical Hebrew as אֲבִיּﯴנָ֑ה, a word that appears in one verse of Scripture (Ecclesiastes 12:5).

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 Egyptian 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. Mabinlins are sweet-tasting proteins 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 not large, but this is mainly due to insufficient supply rather than to lack of demand.

The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that Capparis canescens was also referred to as "Mondoleu" by the indigenous people from Rockhampton area of Queensland and that "The fruit is pyriform and half an inch in diameter. It is eaten by the aborigines without any preparation." (Thozet.) Mr. P. O'Shanesy observes that the pulpy part in which these Australian species of Capparis are imbedded is a good substitute for mustard."

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 birds and other animals such as spiny-tailed lizards. Capparis plants are highly important as food for certain Lepidoptera caterpillars, many of them being Pierinae:

• Appias lyncida (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 nerissa (common gull) - mainly on C. zeylanica.
• Hebomoia glaucippe (great orangetip) - recorded on C. monii, C. roxburghii and C. sepiaria.
• Ixias marianne (white orangetip) - recorded on C. grandis, C. sepiaria, C. decidua, and C. divaricata.
• Leptosia nina (psyche) - recorded on C. zeylanica and others.
• Pareronia ceylanica (dark wanderer) - recorded on C. heydeana, C. rheedii
• Pareronia valeria (common wanderer) - recorded on C. zeylanica, C. rheedii, C. heydeana

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.

Species

Plants of the World Online currently includes:

1. Capparis acutifolia Sweet
2. Capparis annamensis (Baker f.) M.Jacobs
3. Capparis anomala (F.Muell.) Christenh. & Byng
4. Capparis arborea (F.Muell.) Maiden – Brush caper
5. Capparis artensis Montrouz.
6. Capparis assamica Hook.f. & Thomson
7. Capparis bachii Sy, R.K.Choudhary & Joongku Lee
8. Capparis batianoffii Guymer
9. Capparis beneolens Gagnep.
10. Capparis bodinieri H.Lév.
11. Capparis brachybotrya Hallier f.
12. Capparis brassii DC.
13. Capparis brevispina DC.
14. Capparis burmanica Collett & Hemsl.
15. Capparis buwaldae M.Jacobs
16. Capparis callophylla Blume
17. Capparis canescens Banks ex DC.
18. Capparis cantoniensis Lour.
19. Capparis cartilaginea Decne.
20. Capparis cataphyllosa M.Jacobs
21. Capparis chingiana B.S.Sun
22. Capparis chrysomeia Bojer
23. Capparis cinerea M.Jacobs
24. Capparis cleghornii Dunn
25. Capparis corymbosa Lam.
26. Capparis cucurbitina King
27. Capparis daknongensis Sy, G.C.Tucker, Cornejo & Joongku Lee
28. Capparis danielii Murugan, R.Manik., S.P.Nithya, B.Karthik & Arisdason
29. Capparis dasyphylla Merr. & F.P.Metcalf
30. Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. (= C. aphylla) – karir (kirir, k(h)air, karril, etc.)
31. Capparis diffusa Ridl.
32. Capparis dioica Gilg
33. Capparis divaricata Lam.
34. Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arn.
35. Capparis dongvanensis Sy, B.H.Quang & D.V.Hai
36. Capparis echinocarpa Pierre ex Gagnep.
37. Capparis erycibe Hallier f.
38. Capparis erythrocarpos Isert
39. Capparis fascicularis DC.
40. Capparis fengii B.S.Sun
41. Capparis flavicans Kurz
42. Capparis floribunda Wight
43. Capparis florida Fici & Souvann.
44. Capparis fohaiensis B.S.Sun
45. Capparis formosana Hemsl.
46. Capparis fusifera Dunn
47. Capparis gialaiensis Sy
48. Capparis grandidieri Baill.
49. Capparis grandiflora Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson
50. Capparis grandis L.f.
51. Capparis hainanensis Oliv.
52. Capparis henryi Matsum.
53. Capparis hereroensis Schinz
54. Capparis heteracantha DC.
55. Capparis hinnamnoensis Souvann. & Fici
56. Capparis humistrata (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
57. Capparis hypovellerea Gilg & Gilg-Ben.
58. Capparis incanescens DC.
59. Capparis irenae Fici
60. Capparis jacobsii Hewson
61. Capparis kbangensis Sy & D.V.Hai
62. Capparis kebarensis Fici
63. Capparis khuamak Gagnep.
64. Capparis klossii Ridl.
65. Capparis koioides M.Jacobs
66. Capparis kollimalayana M.B.Viswan.
67. Capparis lanceolaris DC.
68. Capparis lanceolatifolia Fici, Bouaman. & Souvann.
69. Capparis laotica Gagnep.
70. Capparis lasiantha R.Br. ex DC.
71. Capparis lianosa Fici & Souvann.
72. Capparis lobbiana Turcz.
73. Capparis longestipitata Heine
74. Capparis longgangensis S.L.Mo & X.S.Lee ex Y.S.Huang
75. Capparis loranthifolia Lindl.
76. Capparis lucida (Banks ex DC.) Benth.
77. Capparis macleishii (A.G.Mill.) Christenh. & Byng
78. Capparis macrantha Souvann., Fici & Lanors.
79. Capparis masaikai H.Lév.
80. Capparis mekongensis Gagnep.
81. Capparis membranifolia Kurz
82. Capparis micracantha DC.
83. Capparis micrantha A.Rich.
84. Capparis mitchellii (Lindl. ex F.Muell.) Lindl. – wild orange (Australia), merne atwakeye (Arrernte)
85. Capparis monantha M.Jacobs
86. Capparis moonii Wight
87. Capparis multiflora Hook.f. & Thomson
88. Capparis nilgiriensis Subba Rao, Kumari & V.Chandras.
89. Capparis nobilis (Endl.) F.Muell. ex Benth. - devil's guts (Norfolk Island)
90. Capparis nummularia DC.
91. Capparis olacifolia Hook.f. & Thomson
92. Capparis ornans F.Muell. ex Benth.
93. Capparis pachyphylla M.Jacobs
94. Capparis parvifolia Fici
95. Capparis poggei Pax
96. Capparis pranensis (Pierre ex Gagnep.) M.Jacobs
97. Capparis pseudocerasifera Hauman
98. Capparis pubiflora DC.
99. Capparis pubifolia B.S.Sun
100. Capparis pyrifolia Lam.
101. Capparis quiniflora DC.
102. Capparis radula Gagnep.
103. Capparis ramonensis Danin
104. Capparis rheedei DC.
105. Capparis richardii Baill.
106. Capparis rigida M.Jacobs
107. Capparis rotundifolia Rottler
108. Capparis roxburghii DC.
109. Capparis rufidula M.Jacobs
110. Capparis sabiifolia Hook.f. & Thomson
111. Capparis sandwichiana DC. – Hawaiian caper, Maiapilo, Pua pilo (Hawaiʻi endemic)
112. Capparis sarmentosa A.Cunn. ex Benth.
113. Capparis scortechinii King
114. Capparis sepiaria L.; a cryptic species complex
115. Capparis shanesiana F.Muell.
116. Capparis shevaroyensis Sundararagh.
117. Capparis siamensis Kurz
118. Capparis sikkimensis Kurz
119. Capparis spinosa L. – Caper
     (note: C. zoharyi Inocencio, D.Rivera, Obón & Alcaraz is a synonym of C. spinosa var. aegyptia (Lam.) Boiss.)
120. Capparis srilankensis Sundararagh.
121. Capparis subsessilis B.S.Sun
122. Capparis sunbisiniana M.L.Zhang & G.C.Tucker
123. Capparis tagbanuorum Fici
124. Capparis tchaourembensis Fici
125. Capparis tenera Dalzell
126. Capparis thorelii Gagnep.
127. Capparis thozetiana (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
128. Capparis tomentosa Lam.
129. Capparis tonkinensis Gagnep.
130. Capparis trichocarpa B.S.Sun
131. Capparis trinervia Hook.f. & Thomson
132. Capparis trisonthiae Srisanga & Chayam.
133. Capparis umbonata Lindl. - northern wild orange
134. Capparis urophylla F.Chun
135. Capparis velutina P.I.Forst.
136. Capparis versicolor Griff.
137. Capparis viburnifolia Gagnep.
138. Capparis viminea Oliv.
139. Capparis wui B.S.Sun
140. Capparis yunnanensis Craib & W.W.Sm.
141. Capparis zeylanica L. (= C. linearis Blanco) – kapchip (Wayuunaiki)
142. Capparis zippeliana Miq.
143. Capparis zoharyi Inocencio et al.

Formerly placed here

• Adansonia gregorii F.Muell. (as Capparis gibbosa A.Cunn.)
• Boscia albitrunca (Burch.) Gilg & Benedict (as C. albitrunca Burch.)
• Boscia oleoides (Burch. ex DC.) Toelken (as C. oleoides Burch. ex DC.)
• Crateva magna (Lour.) DC. (as C. magna Lour.)
• Morisonia flexuosa L. (as C. flexuosa (L.) L.) – Limber caper
• Morisonia hastata (Jacq.) Christenh. & Byng (as C. hastata – Broadleaf caper
• Morisonia heterophylla (Ruiz & Pav. ex DC.) Christenh. & Byng (as C. heterophylla Ruiz & Pav. ex DC.)
• Morisonia pulcherrima (Jacq.) Miers (as C. pulcherrima Jacq.)
• Morisonia retusa (Griseb.) Christenh. & Byng (as C. retusa Griseb.)
• Morisonia salicifolia (Griseb.) Christenh. & Byng (as C. salicifolia Griseb.)
• Morisonia scabrida (Kunth) Seem. (as C. scabrida Kunth)
• Morisonia speciosa (Griseb.) Cornejo & H.H.Iltis (as C. speciosa Griseb.)
• Ritchiea reflexa (Thonn. & Schumach.) Gilg & Gilg-Ben (as C. reflexa Thonn. & Schumach.)

See also

• Caparica (Almada)

Footnotes

1. "Genus: Capparis L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2006-03-31. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
2. ^ "Capparis Tourn. ex L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
3. Tejaswini Petkar; et al. "Antimicrobial Activity of Capparis zeylanica L. and Capparis sepiaria L." Medical and Health Sciences Research Journal: 66–69.
4. Tejaswini Petkar; et al. "Antimicrobial Activity of Capparis zeylanica L. and Capparis sepiaria L." Medical and Health Sciences Research Journal. 1 (1): 66–69.
5. J. H. Maiden (1889). The useful native plants of Australia : Including Tasmania. Turner and Henderson, Sydney.
6. Hébert et al. (2004), Brower et al. (2006)
7. ^ Kunte, Krushnamegh (2000). India, a Lifescape: Butterflies of Peninsular India. Universities Press. p. 223. ISBN 9788173713545.
8. Choudhary, Vijay (July 2018). "Description of White orange tip butterfly – Ixias marianne". Nature Conservation. Archived from the original on 2018-07-25.
9. ^ Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2023). "HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants". Natural History Museum. doi:10.5519/havt50xw.
10. "Capparis sandwichiana". Plant Collections. United States Botanic Garden. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
11. "Capparis sandwichiana". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
12. "Capparis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
13. ^ "GRIN Species Records of Capparis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2010-11-22.

References

• Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2006): Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: ‘ten species’ of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 4(2): 127–132. doi:10.1017/S147720000500191X PDF fulltext
• Hébert, Paul D.N.; Penton, Erin H.; Burns, John M.; Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie (2004): Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the semitropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator. PNAS 101(41): 14812–14817. doi:10.1073/pnas.0406166101 PDF fulltext Supporting Appendices

• Capparis
• Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
• Brassicales genera