CAPPARACEAE Juss. (Incl. CAPPARIDACEAE Juss.)
Family composed of 34 genera and about 450 species of trees, shrubs, lianas and, rarely, herbaceous plants, with a tropical and subtropical distribution and a small representation in the Mediterranean region. In North Africa there are 4 genera with trees and shrubs species.
Arbonnier, M. 2009. Arbres, arbustes et lianes des zones sèches d’Afrique de l’Ouest. Editions Quae, Paris.
Wafaa, M. et al., 2009., Taxonomic Study of Capparaceae from Egypt: Revisited.. The African Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology 3(1): 27-35.
Key to genera
1 Flowers with well developed petals 2
1 Flowers without petals or with very small petals 3
2 Stipules generally spiny. Fruit pyriform or globose Capparis
2 Stipules not spiny or without stipules. Fruit cylindrical with constrictions between seeds Cadaba
3 Leaves small (0.5-2.5 cm long). Fruit densely pubescent, with very pronounced constrictions between seeds (1-6 seeds) Maerua
3 Leaves larger (3-7 cm long). Fruit glabrescent, globose, solitary, with rigid walls and with 1-3 seeds Boscia
Updated by: J. Charco & H. Sainz.