Capparis flexuosa (L.) L.
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Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
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Family
Capparaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Erect or liana-like, glabrous shrub, to 10 m long, manybranched from base; bark dark gray, smooth to rough, inner bark beige. Branches usually zigzag and hanging. Leaf blades 5-10 x 1.5-2.5 cm, leathery, linear, oblong, lanceolate, or obovate, acute or obtuse at apex, obtuse or rounded at base, blade with 7-11 pairs of secondary veins, the margins entire, revolute; petioles 8 mm or shorter. Flowers opening at night or early morning, ephemeral after one night, produced in short corymbs at end of branches; calyx with yellowish, rounded sepals, 6-10 mm long; petals green or yellowish green, obovate, 1.5-3 cm long; stamens numerous, white, 4-6 cm long; gynophore turning from white to deep pink, the ovary light green, oblong. Fruit cylindrical, constricted between seeds, 15-25 cm long, surface turning from light, shiny green to light yellow, with a noticeable red line along two sides, inner walls bright red, irregularly splitting; fruit wall usually coiling away from the placental tissue still containing the seeds; stipe brown, shorter than fruit. Seeds bean-shaped, 1 cm long, with white, fleshy aril.
Distribution and Ecology - Common in dry and coastal forests. Lind Point (A2312). Also on Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola and Virgin Gorda; throughout the West Indies and Florida to South America.
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Discussion
Capparis saligna Vahl, Symb. Bot. 3: 66. 1794.
Common names: bottle wiss, dog caper, limber caper