Capparis cleghornii

Dunn

Cleghorn caper

Capparaceae Edible: Fruit 2 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by

Description

A thorny shrub. It grows 2 m tall. It is climbing. It can be 6-8 m long. The stem is woody at the base and 10 cm across. It has many branches. It has curved thorns. The stems are purple and hairy. The leaves are alternate and narrowly oval. They are 4-10 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. The fruit are purple with bright red flesh. The fruit are 3-4 cm long by 2-3 cm wide.

Edible Uses

Fruit. A pulpy, deep scarlet coloured flesh. The violet-purplish, ovoid or subglobose fruit is around 30 - 40mm long and 20 - 30mm wide.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in monsoon forest between 700-1,400 m above sea level. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 3,500-8,000 mm.

Where It Grows

Asia, India,

Cultivation

Capparis cleghornii is native to the Mysore District of southern India where it experiences a tropical monsoon climate. It is found at elevations from 700 - 1,400 metres where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 3,500 - 8,000mm. The flowers open in the evening, fading the following morning.