Capparaceae Explained

The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 15 genera and about 430 species. The largest genera are Capparis (about 140 species), Morisonia (87 species), Maerua (70 species), Boscia (30 species), and Cadaba (30 species).

Taxonomy

The Capparaceae have long been considered closely related to and have often been included in the Brassicaceae, the mustard family (APG, 1998), in part because both groups produce glucosinolate (mustard oil) compounds. Subsequent molecular studies^[1] support Capparaceae sensu stricto as paraphyletic with respect to the Brassicaceae. However Cleome and several related genera are more closely related to members of the Brassicaceae than to the other Capparaceae. These genera are now either placed in the Brassicaceae (as subfamily Clemoideae) or segregated into the Cleomaceae. Several more genera of the traditional Capparaceae are more closely related to other members of the Brassicales, and the relationships of several more remain unresolved.^[2] Based on morphological grounds and supported by molecular studies, the American species traditionally identified as Capparis have been transferred to resurrected generic names. Several new genera have also been recently described.^[3]

Based on recent DNA-analysis, the Capparaceae are part of the core Brassicales, and based on limited testing, the following tree represent current insights in its relationship.^[4]

Genera

15 genera are accepted:^[5]

Bachmannia Pax Beautempsia Boscia Lam. Buchholzia Engl. Cadaba Forssk.

Capparis L. Crateva L. Hypselandra Maerua Forssk. Morisonia L.

Neocalyptrocalyx Hutch. Neothorelia Gagnep. Poilanedora Gagnep. Ritchiea R.Br. ex G.Don Thilachium Lour.^[6]

Excluded genera

• Borthwickia W.W.Sm. → Resedaceae
• Cleome L. → Cleomaceae
• Cleomella DC. → Cleomaceae
• Dactylaena Schrad. ex Schult.f. → Cleomaceae
• Forchhammeria Liebm. → Stixaceae
• Haptocarpum Ule → Cleomaceae
• Koeberlinia Zucc. → Koeberliniaceae
• Oxystylis Torr. & Frem. → Cleomaceae
• Pentadiplandra Baill. → Pentadiplandraceae
• Podandrogyne Ducke → Cleomaceae
• Polanisia Raf. → Cleomaceae
• Setchellanthus Brandegee → Setchellanthaceae
• Stixis Lour. → Stixaceae
• Tirania Pierre → Stixaceae
• Wislizenia Engelm. → Cleomaceae^[7]

Genus insufficiently known according to Kers in Kubitzki, but whose descriptions indicate it cannot belong to the Capparaceae

• Keithia Spreng. (unplaced)

Further reading

• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2006. New combinations in Capparaceae sensu stricto for Flora of Ecuador. Harvard Pap. Bot. 11(1): 17–18.
• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008a. Two new genera of Capparaceae: Sarcotoxicum and Mesocapparis stat. nov., and the reinstatement of Neocalyptrocalyx. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(1): 103-116.
• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008b. New combinations in South American Capparaceae. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(1): 117-120.
• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008c. Anisocapparis y Monilicarpa: dos nuevos géneros de Capparaceae de América del Sur. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2(1): 61-74.
• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008d. The reinstatement of Capparidastrum. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(2): 229-236.
• Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008e. A revision of Colicodendron Mart. (Capparaceae s.s.). J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas, 2(1): 75-93.
• Book: Everitt . J.H. . Lonard . R.L. . Little . C.R. . Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico . Texas Tech University Press . Lubbock . 2007.
• Hall, J. C., K. J. Sytsma and H. H. Iltis. 2002. Phylogeny of Capparaceae and Brassicaceae based on chloroplast sequence data. American Journal of Botany 89: 1826-1842 (abstract here).
• Hall, J. C., H. H. Iltis and K. J. Sytsma. 2004. Molecular phylogenetics of core Brassicales, placement of orphan genera Emblingia, Forchhammeria, Tirania, and character evolution. Systematic Botany 29: 654-669 (abstract here).
• Hall, J. C. 2008. Systematics of Capparaceae and Cleomaceae: an evaluation of the generic delimitations of Capparis and Cleome using plastid DNA sequence data. Botany 86: 682–696.
• Iltis, H. H. & Cornejo, X. 2007. Studies in the Capparaceae XXX. Capparicordis, a new genus from the Neotropics. Brittonia 59: 246–254.
• Kers, L. E. 2003. Capparaceae. In: Kubitzki, K. (Series Editor):The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Vol.5: K. Kubitzki & C. Bayer (Volume Editors).Springer-Verlag Berlin, 36-56.
• Takhtajan, A. 1997. Diversity and classification of flowering plants.

External links

• Capparaceae, in Neotropikey
• Capparaceae, in Flowering Plants of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.
• Photos at University of Hawaii site
• Capparaceae, as Capparidaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards).
• Family Capparaceae flowers in Israel

Notes and References

1. (Hall et al., 2002, 2008)
2. (Hall et al. 2004).
3. (Cornejo & Iltis 2006, 2008a-e; Iltis & Cornejo, 2007; Hall, 2008).
4. Su. Jun-Xia. Wang. Wei. Zhang. Li-Bing. Chen. Zhi-Duan. Phylogenetic placement of two enigmatic genera, Borthwickia and Stixis, based on molecular and pollen data, and the description of a new family of Brassicales, Borthwickiaceae. Taxon. June 2012. 61. 3. 601–611. 10.1002/tax.613009. 2017-08-09. 2017-08-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20170803211559/http://ib.cas.cn/News/201207/W020120713414196219534.pdf. dead.
5. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30001562-2 Capparaceae Juss.
6. Web site: GRIN Genera of Capparaceae . https://web.archive.org/web/19991216180044/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/gnlist.pl?210 . dead . 1999-12-16 . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2011-01-31 .
7. Web site: GRIN genera sometimes placed in Capparaceae . https://web.archive.org/web/20000601025316/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/gnothlist.pl?210 . dead . 2000-06-01 . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2011-01-31 .