CAPPARIS ZOHARYI
Common Name:- Caper
Synonyms:- Capparis Spinosa
Meaning:- Capparis (Gr) From the Arabic, kabar, for capers.
Zoharyi (L) For Michael Zohary a pioneering Israeli botanist, (1898-
1983).
General description:- Shrub erect, glabrous; twigs straight, ± erect, up to 2 m
long, green to reddish purple, older twigs bluish due to a waxy covering; internodes
1-5 cm.
Stipules:- Curved, retrorse, strongly decurrent, rose type, orange, 0.3-0.6 cm long,
0.3-0.4 cm wide at the base.
Leaves:-
1) Rounded to obcordate, rarely ovate, 2-4 3 2-4 cm, somewhat fleshy.
2) Leaf veins not prominent; base rounded, sometimes cordate.
3) Leaf apices rounded or slightly obcordate.
4) Mucro absent or very small, 0.1- 0.5 mm.
5) Petioles short, 0.7-1 cm.
Flowers:-
1) Buds rounded.
2) Floral pedicels thick and long, 3-5 cm.
3) Flowers slightly zygomorphic, (having only one plane of symmetry).
4) Sepal, abaxial (odd) slightly helmet-shaped (galeate), 1.5-1.7 cm long, 0.6-0.9
cm deep.
5) Stamens 30 to 80.
6) Anthers 1.3-1.5 mm, with round apices.
Fruit:- Oblong, pulp yellow; ripe seeds brown, 3.4-3.8, 3 3-3.2, 3 2-2.2 mm.
Key features:-
Habitat:- Walls, rocks, pronounced slopes, at elevations from 0 to 200 m. often in
the vicinity of human dwellings.
Distribution:- Mediterranean Region. Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, Middle
East into Turkey [Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Spain,
Syria, Turkey].
.
Flowering time:- Flowering and fruiting from Mar-Oct
Photos by:- Christopher Cheiladakis