The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the

caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...

family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 33 genera and about 700 species. The largest genera are ''

Capparis ''Capparis'' is a flowering plant genus, comprising around 250 species in the family Capparaceae which is included in the Brassicaceae in the unrevised APG II system. These plants are shrubs or lianas and are collectively known as caper shrubs o ...

'' (about 150 species), ''

Maerua ''Maerua'' is a genus of plants in the family Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 33 genera and a ...

'' (about 100 species), ''

Boscia ''Boscia'' is a genus of plants in the family ''Capparaceae''. It contains the following species: *''Boscia albitrunca'' (Burch) Gilg & Ben. *'' Boscia angustifolia'' A. Rich. *'' Boscia arabica'' Pestalozii *'' Boscia caffra'' Sond. *'' Bosci ...

'' (37 species) and ''

Cadaba ''Cadaba'' is a genus of shrubs in family Capparaceae, with about 30 species. These have simple, alternately set leaves. The zygomorphic flowers, are solitary or stand in small clusters at the end of short side branches. These flowers consist of ...

'' (30 species).

Taxonomy

The Capparaceae have long been considered closely related to and have often been included in the

Brassicaceae Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The leav ...

, the mustard family (APG, 1998), in part because both groups produce

glucosinolate Glucosinolates are natural components of many pungent plants such as mustard, cabbage, and horseradish. The pungency of those plants is due to mustard oils produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is chewed, cut, or otherwise damage ...

( mustard oil) compounds. Subsequent molecular studies support Capparaceae'' sensu stricto'' as

paraphyletic In taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In ...

with respect to the Brassicaceae. However '' Cleome'' and several related genera are more closely related to members of the Brassicaceae than to the other Capparaceae. These genera are now either placed in the Brassicaceae (as subfamily Clemoideae) or segregated into the Cleomaceae. Several more genera of the traditional Capparaceae are more closely related to other members of the Brassicales, and the relationships of several more remain unresolved. Based on morphological grounds and supported by molecular studies, the American species traditionally identified as ''Capparis'' have been transferred to resurrected

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

names. Several new genera have also been recently described.(Cornejo & Iltis 2006, 2008a-e; Iltis & Cornejo, 2007; Hall, 2008). Based on recent DNA-analysis, the Capparaceae are part of the core Brassicales, and based on limited testing, the following tree represent current insights in its relationship.

Genera

Excluded genera

*''

Borthwickia ''Borthwickia'' is genus of flowering plants, containing one species, ''Borthwickia trifoliata'' from Yunnan, China and Myanmar. The common name in Chinese is 节蒴木 (jie shuo mu). It is a shrub or small tree with evergreen trifoliate leaves, ...

'' W.W.Sm. → Resedaceae *'' Cleome'' L. → Cleomaceae *'' Cleomella'' DC. → Cleomaceae *'' Dactylaena'' Schrad. ex Schult.f. → Cleomaceae *''

Forchhammeria ''Forchhammeria'' is a genus of plants in the order Brassicales. This genus has previously been placed in the Stixaceae (now obsolete) and Capparaceae, but under the APG IV system is now included in the family Resedaceae. Species can be found i ...

'' Liebm. →

Stixaceae Stixaceae is a family in the plant order Brassicales. It is no longer recognised by most taxonomists. The three genera formerly included in Stixaceae — '' Forchhammeria'', '' Stixis'' and '' Tirania'' — have sometimes been placed instead in the ...

*'' Haptocarpum'' Ule → Cleomaceae *'' Koeberlinia'' Zucc. → Koeberliniaceae *''

Oxystylis ''Oxystylis'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants currently considered a part of the cleome family containing the single species ''Oxystylis lutea'', which is known by the common name spiny caper. It is native to the Mojave Desert straddli ...

'' Torr. & Frem. → Cleomaceae *''

Pentadiplandra ''Pentadiplandra brazzeana'' is an evergreen shrub or liana that is the only species assigned to the genus ''Pentadiplandra'', and has been placed in a family of its own called Pentadiplandraceae. It produces large red berries, sometimes mottled ...

'' Baill. →

ceae *''

Podandrogyne ''Podandrogyne'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae The Cleomaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, comprising about 300 species in 10 genera, or about 150 species in 17 genera.Cleomaceae, ...

'' Ducke → Cleomaceae *'' Polanisia'' Raf. → Cleomaceae *''

Setchellanthus ''Setchellanthus caeruleus'' is a species of pungent shrub with large blue flowers. It is placed alone in the genus ''Setchellanthus'', which is in turn, is placed alone in the family Setchellanthaceae. It is endemic to Mexico. The genus and t ...

'' Brandegee →

Setchellanthaceae ''Setchellanthus caeruleus'' is a species of pungent shrub with large blue flowers. It is placed alone in the genus ''Setchellanthus'', which is in turn, is placed alone in the family Setchellanthaceae. It is endemic to Mexico. The genus and the ...

*'' Stixis'' Lour. → Stixaceae *''

Tirania ''Tirania purpurea'', the sole species in genus ''Tirania'', is a species of climbing plant native to Asia. This genus is related to ''Forchhammeria'' and '' Stixis'', but the placement of these three is uncertain. They were placed in Capparace ...

'' Pierre → Stixaceae *''

Wislizenia ''Wislizenia'' is a genus of flowering plants containing three recognized species native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include spectacle fruit and jackass clover. Like genus ''Cleome'' and several relatives, ...

'' Engelm. → Cleomaceae ;Additional genera to be excluded from the Capparaceae, according to Kers in Kubitzki ;;1. Genera that may be capparalean but do not fit within the Capparaceae *''

Neothorelia ''Neothorelia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Capparaceae. The only species is ''Neothorelia laotica'' . It is native to Laos in Indo-China. The genus name of ''Neothorelia'' is in honour of Clovis Thorel ...

'' Gagnep. ;;2. Genera insufficiently known, but whose descriptions indicate they cannot belong to the Capparaceae *''

'' W.W.Sm. →

ceae *'' Keithia'' Spreng. *''

Poilanedora ''Poilanedora'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Capparaceae. The only species is ''Poilanedora unijuga''. It is native to Vietnam. The genus name of ''Poilanedora'' is in honour of Eugène Poilane (1888–1964), ...

'' Gagnep. ;;3. Genera not treated in Kubitzki, but usually regarded as Capparaceae *'' Buhsia'' Bunge *''

Niebuhria ''Maerua'' is a genus of plants in the family Capparaceae, with its centre of diversity in Africa, though some species extend their range as far north as the Levant, and as far east as the Indian subcontinent and mainland Southeast Asia. Among ...

'' DC.

References

External links

Capparaceae, in Flowering Plants of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards).

{{Authority control Brassicales families

Taxonomy

Genera

Excluded genera

References

Further reading

External links