Capparis cleghornii Dunn, Fl. Madras 146 1915. (syn: Capparis roxburghii Cooke);

India (Karnataka, Kerala) as per Catalogue of Life;

Common name: Cleghorn Caper


Scandent shrubs, ca 2 m high; twigs purplish, flagellate, fulvous-pubescent, densely armed with sharp recurved thorns. Leaves alternate, elliptic or obovate, acute at base, abruptly blunt-acuminate at apex, 3.5-10 x 2-5 cm, subcoriaceous, pinkish when tender, dull greenish when dry; lateral nerves 4-6 pairs with obscure reticulations; petioles 6-10 mm long. Flowers showy, white, purple on ageing, to 5 x 3.5 -4.5 cm, in terminal 6-10 flowered corymbs, rarely solitary, axillary or conferted in subterminal shoots; pedicels 2.5-4 cm long, pubescent; buds tomentose. Sepals subequal, concave, 10-12 x 7-8 cm, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Petals obovate or oblong, unequal; upper pair 2.2-2.5 x 1-1.2 cm; lower pair 1.6-1.8 x 1.2-1.4 cm, puberulous at base. Receptacle 2.5-3 mm across. Stamens 65-80, white turning pink or scarlet; filaments 2.5-2.8 cm long. Gynophore 2.5-3.5 cm long, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, 3-3.5 x ca 2 mm, glabrous, purple. Fruits on slender stalks, ovoid or subglobose, umbonate, 6-8.5 cm long, dark purplish to violet; seeds 1-4, obovoid or orbicular, dorsally compressed, 1.5-1.8 x 1.4-1.5 cm, embedded in scarlet pulp.

Flowering and fruiting: February-October
Along the margins of semi-evergreen forests
South India
(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi from India Biodiversity Portal)



Please find attached images of Capparis cleghornii observed in Sakleshpur, Karnataka. Apologies for the image quality.


 



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