Capparis fascicularis, the zigzag caper-bush,[1] is a plant in the Capparaceae family and is native to Africa.
This species has multiple synonyms. The species is said to comprise three varieties, but four are listed:
Occurs from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga,[2] Limpopo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.[3] The range extends further to East Africa, Ethiopia, and across northern Nigeria, Niger and the Gambia.[4] This species generally occurs in deciduous bushland and thickets, grassland with scattered trees, upland dry evergreen and riverine forest, and sometimes on termite-mounds. Var. fascicularis is found in dry bushveld[1] or dry deciduous woodland in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini.[5] Var. zeyheri is found in forest, bushveld and woodland near the coast in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, South Africa.[1] Var. elaeagnoides is found in Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and the Gambia.[6]
A scrambling shrub or climber, usually with hooked spines on the stem.[2] Two varieties are known in South Africa; var. fascicularis (zigzag caper-bush) and var. zeyheri (coast zigzag caper-bush).[1] The most notable difference between these two varieties is that var. fascicularis has indented (notched[1]) leaf-tips whereas var. zeyheri has pointed leaf-tips. The spines on the coast zigzag caper-bush are usually reduced or absent.[1] [2] The fragrant flowers are whitish[1] and produced on leafless side branchlets which resemble spikes or racemes.[7] The fruit are spherical and 6–15 mm in diameter, ripening to purple-black.[7]
The leaves are sold as food in markets of northern Nigeria.[4]
Capparis fascicularis is the larval foodplant of the butterflies Belenois creona and Eronia cleodora.[8]