Capparis decidua
(Forssk.) Edgew.
Timbuctoo caperbush
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Summary
Source: WikipediaCapparis decidua, commonly known as karira, is a useful plant in its marginal habitat.
Description
A shrub or tree. It is deciduous. It grows 4 m tall. It is a spiny bush. The spines are in pairs and small and orange-yellow. The trunk is dark and furrowed. The small branches are green and make a dense network. They are often without leaves. The leaves are small and narrow and only on young shoots and fall off quickly. The flowers are brick-red and in clusters. They have long stamens. The flowers have 4 petals and a cup like bonnet. The fruit are the size of a grape. They have a waxy bloom.
Edible Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten raw after the skin is removed. Unripe fruit are dried as vegetables or pickled. Flower buds are used as potherbs and in pickles. The floral nectar is eaten, leaves are used as a green vegetable, and the bark serves as a famine food. Roots when burned yield a vegetable salt.
Traditional Uses
The ripe fruit are eaten raw. The skin is removed. The unripe fruit are dried and used as vegetables or pickled. Flower buds used as potherbs. They are also used in pickles. Floral nectar is also eaten. The roots when burned yield a vegetable salt. The bark is a famine food. The leaves are used as a green vegetable.
Medicinal Uses
The fruit and young buds can be eaten raw. Its spicy fruits are used for preparing vegetables, curry and fine pickles and can attract helpful insectivores; the plant also is used in folk medicine and herbalism. It can be used in landscape gardening, afforestation and reforestation in semidesert and desert areas; it provides assistance against soil erosion.
Known Hazards
No hazards mentioned in the data.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows best on flat alluvial plains. It is often in wastelands. It can tolerate heat, drought, fire, frost and salty and alkaline soils. It can survive with 100 mm of rain per year. It grows in the Sahel. In Ethiopia it grows from sea level to 1,200 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.
Where It Grows
Afghanistan, Africa, Arabia, Asia, Central Africa, Chad, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinée, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Sahara, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Socotra, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, West Africa, Yemen,
Cultivation
It can reproduce from root suckers.
Propagation
Seed - Cuttings.
Other Uses
The wood is very hard and used to make water pipes and water troughs. The wood is used for charcoal and firewood in its native range. This is one of the best species for establishing shelter belts to check the movement of sand in the Thar desert of India. One of its preferred uses in the Sudan is as a shade and shelterbelt. As it is drought resistant and withstands neglect, this species could be particularly useful in arid areas as a live hedge providing edible fruits.
Production
In India fruit are available Feb to July.
Other Information
Fruit are sold in markets.
Notes
There are about 250 Capparis species. There are about 50 Capparis species in tropical America.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 70.1 | 440 | 105 | 5.9 | — | — | — | — |
| Leaves | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nectar | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Ajuet, Chippuri, Dela, Delha, Dhalu, Gandman lakdi, Gudhapatra, Gumero, Injet, Jaba, Kair, Kareenh, Kareer, Karel, Karer, Kari, Karil, Karinha, Karir, Karira, Kariramu, Kartoli, Ker, Kera, Kerda, Kerro, Kira, Kirar, Kontir, Kreeta, Kureel, Kurrel, Laddu, Maluza, Namar, Pichu, Pinju, Sengam, Siwak, Sodad, Taint, Tountoub, Tumtum, Tundub
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