Capparaceae

Abstract

Annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing, scrambling, or rarely lianaceous. Hairs simple or branched, 2- or many-armed, stellate or scaly, the simple hairs pointed or with an apical gland, foliar hairs sometimes more or less spiny. Leaves simple or palmately compound, (1–)3–7(–13)-foliolate, alternate, petioled, long persistent or seasonally shed, more rarely minute and caducous. Petiolules short, basally with or without an abscission region (“joint”). Petiole nonsheathing, jointed or not jointed at base, generally falling with the blades, rarely remaining as a phyllodium after the minute blades have been shed. Stipules none or present, rarely developed into spines (Capparis, Cleome). Flowers in racemose inflorescences, these often corymbose or subumbellate, or flowers solitary, or fascicled on short shoots, or in a supra-axillary row. Pedicels bracteate or ebracteate; prophylls none. Flowers actinomorphic or bilaterally symmetric to zygomorphic, hypogynous or perigynous, bisexual or rarely unisexual. Receptacle small, flattened, capitate or slightly conical, or widened into floral cup or tube.