Capparis calvescens Gilg & Gilg-Ben. (1915) not Gilg & Benedict!
Capparis somalensis Gilg (1895)
Capparis rothii Oliv. (1868)
Capparis jodotricha Gilg & Gilg-Ben. (1915)
Capparis oliveriana Gilg
Capparis schlechteri Schinz (1912)
Capparis solanoides Gilg & Gilg-Ben. (1915) not Gilg & Benedict!
Capparis marlothii Gilg & Gilg-Ben. (1915) not Gilg & Benedict![1]
Capparis fascicularis, the zigzag caper-bush,[2] is a plant in the Capparaceae family and is native to Africa.
Flowers of Capparis fascicularis var. zeyheriPortion of a mature stem of C. f. var. zeyheri showing paired spines
Taxonomy
This species has multiple synonyms. The species is said to comprise three varieties, but four are listed:[1]
Capparis fascicularis DC. var. fascicularis (1824)
Capparis fascicularis var. zeyheri (Turcz.) Toelken (1824)
Capparis fascicularis var. elaeagnoides (Gilg) DeWolf (1824)
Capparis fascicularis var. scheffleri (Gilg & Gilg-Ben.) DeWolf (1824)
Distribution and habitat
Occurs from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga,[3]Limpopo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.[4] The range extends further to East Africa, Ethiopia, and across northern Nigeria, Niger and the Gambia.[5] This species generally occurs in deciduous bushland and thickets, grassland with scattered trees, upland dry evergreen and riverine forest, and sometimes on termite-mounds.[1] Var. fascicularis is found in dry bushveld[2] or dry deciduous woodland in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini.[6] Var. zeyheri is found in forest, bushveld and woodland near the coast in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, South Africa.[2] Var. elaeagnoides is found in Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and the Gambia.[7]
Description
A scrambling shrub or climber, usually with hooked spines on the stem.[3] Two varieties are known in South Africa; var. fascicularis (zigzag caper-bush) and var. zeyheri (coast zigzag caper-bush).[2] The most notable difference between these two varieties is that var. fascicularis has indented (notched[2]) leaf-tips whereas var. zeyheri has pointed leaf-tips. The spines on the coast zigzag caper-bush are usually reduced or absent.[2][3] The fragrant flowers are whitish[2] and produced on leafless side branchlets which resemble spikes or racemes.[8] The fruit are spherical and 6–15 mm in diameter, ripening to purple-black.[8]
Larvae of Belenois creona on leaf of Capparis fascicularis var. zeyheri
Var. fascicularis
Var. zeyheri
Human uses
The leaves are sold as food in markets of northern Nigeria.[5]
Ecological significance
Belenois creona (left) and Eronia cleodora (right); raised on C. fascicularis var. zeyheri
