Capparis tomentosa Lam.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Road nr 11 near Hippo House, Gorongosa National Park

Synonyms:
Common names:	Woolly caper-bush (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Mostly a robust woody climber but occasionally a shrub or small tree, armed with sharp, paired, hooked thorns. All young parts are densely velvety. Leaves alternate, oblong to broadly elliptic, grey-green, covered in velvet hairs; margins entire. Flowers quite showy, yellowish-green with a mass of long white or pinkish stamens. Fruit large, up to 4 cm, pink to orange when ripe. The fruits hang from a long stalk-like branch called a gynophore.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	tomentosa: tomentose, densely woolly
Habitat:	In woodland at lower altitudes, sometimes a liane; occurring at higher altitudes on termite mounds
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Aug - Nov
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical Africa and South Africa
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS,GI,M
Growth form:	SL
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Monday 21 January 2008
Literature:	Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 47. (Includes a picture).

African Plant Database: Capparis tomentosa
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Capparis tomentosa
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Capparis tomentosa
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Capparis tomentosa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Capparis tomentosa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Capparis tomentosa
JSTOR Plant Science: Capparis tomentosa
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Capparis tomentosa
Tropicos: Capparis tomentosa
West African Plants database: Capparis tomentosa