Capparis cartilaginea Decne.
لصف، لوصفة، عسالوت، علسليب
For people
- Eaten by people
- Unknown
- Toxic to people
- Unknown
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Limited fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
PROTA states the sweet-smelling juicy fruit pulp is edible and a UAE source says fruits and seeds are 'reportedly edible', but no source documents regular use as food in Oman or elsewhere, so edibility could not be confirmed; the leaves are a traditional laxative and strong purgative, so do not eat them. Goats browse it to a limited extent (low grazing value); no toxicity information for people or livestock was found.
This guide is a hobby project, not expert advice. Never eat a wild plant, or feed it to animals, on the strength of this page alone. Read the disclaimer
Description
A spiny, fleshy, prostrate or scrambling shrub, sometimes climbing over rocks to about 5 m. Leaves are simple, leathery to fleshy, ovate to broadly elliptic or almost round, 2-6 cm long; the stipules form strong hooked spines. Flowers are large, white (ageing pinkish), fragrant, with many long stamens. Fruit is a fleshy, ovoid to ellipsoid, ribbed berry 3-5 cm long, often reddish, with many seeds in a juicy pulp.
Habitat
Found on cliffs, rocky slopes, stony wadis, sandy and alluvial soils at elevations from sea level to 2,400 metres. Adapted to adverse arid climatic conditions.
Distribution
Native to northeastern and eastern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant, eastwards to Pakistan and India.
Pastoral value
Browsed by goats and camels in some regions.
Other uses
Used in traditional medicine as tea from leaves for treating rheumatism, arthritis, gout, earache, headache, healing bruises, snakebite and childbirth pain. Shows antidiabetic and anticancer potential in research.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.61)
- Plants of the World Online — Capparis cartilaginea Decne. — powo.science.kew.org
- PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) — Capparis cartilaginea — plantuse.plantnet.org(PROTA)
- Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants of UAE — Capparis cartilaginea — medicinalplants.doh.gov.ae
- Cartilage Caper (Capparis cartilaginea) — ross.no (Oman field notes) — ross.no
