Capparis indica (L.) Druce

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Capparaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Capparis indica (L.) Druce

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or small tree to 7 m tall and 8 cm diam.; bark gray to dark gray, smooth to slightly fissured, inner bark light yellow and bitter; young parts densely covered with golden or silvery scales; branches flattened and angular when young. Leaf blades 5-10 x 2.2-4.5 cm, chartaceous, elliptic (rarely obovate), linear and much longer in sprout shoots, glabrous except for a few stellate hairs on midrib and margins, lower surface densely covered with silvery or golden scales, secondary veins noticeable, the apex acute or obtuse and mucronate, rarely rounded or notched, the base obtuse or tapering, the margins slightly wavy and slightly or not revolute; petioles 1.5 cm or shorter, densely covered with golden scales. Inflorescences short, axillary corymbs with to 12 flowers. Flower buds ellipsoid, densely covered with golden scales, the sepals not covering the petals. Flowers fragrant; calyx of 4 equal, triangular or lanceolate sepals to 2 mm long; sepaloid appendages opposite to the sepals, triangular and slightly smaller than the sepals; petals white, obovate or spatulate, ca. 1.2 cm long, densely covered with whitish stellate hairs on both surfaces; filaments glabrous, except for few hairs at base; gynophore and ovary densely covered with silvery golden scales. Fruit linear-cylindrical, with outline constricted between seeds, 10-20 cm long and 0.8 cm wide, surface rusty-brown, orange within, opening along one side; stipe much shorter than the fruit, also rusty-brown. Seeds ellipsoid, ca. 7 mm long, with fleshy orange aril.

  • Discussion

    Common name: linguam.

  • Distribution

    In dry forests or thickets, from sea level to 330 m elevation. Along road to Bordeaux (Wl 17); Cruz Bay Quarter along Center Line Road (5036), Lameshur (A5444). Also on Jost van Dyke, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; southern Mexico to northern South America, including the West Indies.

    Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| South America| West Indies|