Caper Shrubs

Although it was not the blooming season, I found a few flowers in a few shrubs.

and here is the whole shrub

Although common in India and Pakistan, in the Middle East this atrnave leafless caper reaches its western border, hence very rare and endangered.

Although common in India and Pakistan, in the Middle East this atrnave leafless caper reaches its western border, hence very rare and endangered.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

This deciduous caper is a rarity in Israel. It grows in the extreme dry desert and was almost extinct, recently it was propagated and reintroduced in the Ein Gedi nature reserve on the coast of the Dead Sea.

after spring is gone, its capers time. Beyond the commonest species - Capparis spinosa, there are several other species. One iaracteryzed is Capparis sicula that is ccharacteryzed by felted stems.

Capparis sicula is common laong the Jordan Valley in Israel. It has typical felted twigs.

Caper (Capparis spinosa) is one of the commonest of Mediterranean and west Asian plants. It is found on every wall or cliff. The young buds, young fruits and young stems are pickled and than edible.

During summer time u can enjoy cappers flowers, they are open in night time and early morning, after that they wilt. The flower produces nectar in its base which attracts long-tongued insects. I managed to take this picture with my pocket camera.

"Capers are very common in the cold deserts of Ladakh. Here you can see an open fruit, "waiting" for for birds to disperse its red seeds. Red is known to attact birds and is common in many bird-dispersed fruits, such as hawthorn, malberry and cherry. The identity of these populations is still unclear, since Capparis spinosa in the broad sense, was split into several geographic species."

"Capers are very common in the cold deserts of Ladakh. Here you can see an open fruit, "waiting" for for birds to disperse its red seeds. Red is known to attact birds and is common in many bird-dispersed fruits, such as hawthorn, malberry and cherry. The identity of these populations is still unclear, since Capparis spinosa in the broad sense, was split into several geographic species."

This is a seedling of Capparis zoharyi (similar to Capparis spinosa).

Detalle de rama y flor. Nótese el tamaño del pedicelo Fotografía: Nelson Zamora

Detalle de la inflorescencia. Fotografía: Nelson Zamora

Capparis spinosa 1

Capparis spinosa 2Location: Wadi Gimal-Hamata 2003

Capparis spinosa 3Location: Wadi Gimal-Hamata 2003