Capparis spinosa L.
لصف، شفلّح، اللصاف، كرب
For people
- Eaten by people
- Edible
- Toxic to people
- Not toxic
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Limited fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
People eat the unopened flower buds (capers) and the young fruits (caper berries), always pickled in brine or vinegar; raw buds are bitter, and young shoots are sometimes cooked like asparagus. No hazards are recorded for these pickled parts, but the hooked spines scratch, the root bark is medicinal and should not be eaten, and the plant must be identified with certainty because some other Capparis species are poisonous. Sheep, goats and camels browse the green shoots to a limited extent; no reliable information on its safety or toxicity for 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 scrambling, sprawling, spiny evergreen shrub typically growing to 1 m tall but spreading 2-3 m wide. Bears rounded fleshy semi-succulent leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. Leaf stipules develop a pair of sharp hooked spines at the base of each petiole.
Habitat
Grows in sandy or gravelly soils, rocky hillsides, cliffs, stone walls and rock crevices. Requires hot, well-drained dry positions in full sun. Drought tolerant.
Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa, extending from southwestern Asia to the Black Sea, eastward to the Himalayas. Found in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.
Pastoral value
Browsed by goats and camels. Not a primary fodder plant.
Other uses
Unopened flower buds are the culinary capers used worldwide as garnishes and flavor additives. Used as drought-resistant ground cover to prevent erosion. Parts used in manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.62)
- Plants For A Future — Capparis spinosa — pfaf.org
- Flora of Qatar — Capparis spinosa — floraofqatar.com
- Capparis spinosa (Gintzburger et al., 2003, Rangelands of Central Asia forage handbook) — Pl@ntUse — plantuse.plantnet.org(Gintzburger_et_al.,_2003)
- eFlora of India — Capparis spinosa subsp. spinosa var. aegyptia (Oman) — efloraofindia.com
- Wikipedia - Capparis spinosa — en.wikipedia.org
- Capparis spinosa (PROSEA) - Pl@ntUse — plantuse.plantnet.org(PROSEA)
