Family: Capparaceae
Shrub or tree to 10M tall.
Scented flowers attract butterflies and insect-eating birds. Larval host to many butterflies.
The tree is easily propagated by seeds. Prepare the seeds for sowing by removing the fruit pulp.
Self seeded
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Capparaceae
Capparaceae Species
- Boscia Sp – to Follow
- Cadaba Sp – to Follow
- Capparaceae Butterflies
- Capparis Cartilaginea Decne.
- Maerua Angolensis
- Thilachium Africanum – to Follow
- Thylachium Thomasii Gilg
Capparis Cartilaginea Decne.
Family: Capparaceae.
Self seeded. Grown from seed or cuttings. This plant is often flowering and always covered in Colotis butterflies and ants. Medicinal use in Africa and fruit is eaten. Leaves are toxic to sheep and cattle.
In other parts of Africa, Capparis is recorded as a larval food plant for Appias, Belenois, Colotis, Dixeia, Eronia, Leptosia, Nepheronia, and Pinacopteryx.
There is no evidence from the coast that this is a larval food plant, but Capparis is regularly visited by butterflies.
Monkeys eat the fruit and antelope eat the leaves
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Thylachium Thomasii Gilg
Family: Capparaceae
Self seeded. Grown from seed or cuttings.This plant is often flowering and always covered in
Colotis butterflies and ants.
May be a larval food plant for Appias, Belenois, Colotis, Dixeia, Eronia, Leptosia, Nepheronia, and
Pinacopteryx.
There is no evidence from the coast that this is a larval food plant, but is regularly visited by butterflies, as seen by the Colotis left.
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Capparaceae
The Checklist of Coastal Forests lists 7 Genera, 37 Species
I am growing:
- Boscia sp – to follow
- Cadaba sp – to follow
- Capparis cartilaginea Decne.
- Maerua angolensis
- Thilachium africanum – to follow
- Thylachium thomasii Gilg
Propogation:
Capparaceae grow well from root suckers, albeit slowly. The most efficient way to propagate any of these
species is from seed.
However, birds and animals often eat the fruit while it is still relatively green.
Source: Growing rare plants by Geoff Nichols
The following coastal butterfly caterpillars feed on Capparaceae:
- Nepheronia argia – Large Vagrant
- Eronia cleodora – Vine Leaf Vagrant
- Ernoia leda – Orange-and-Lemon
- Colotis chrysonome- Golden Arab
- Colotis protomedia – Yellow Splendour
- Colotis regina – Regal Purple Tip
- Colotis hetaera – Coast Purple Tip
- Colotis ione – Purple Tip
- Colotis danae – Scarlet Tip
- Colotis evagore – Tiny Orange Tip
- Colotis euippe – Round-winged Orange Tip
- Belonois creone – Common White
- Pinacopteryx eriphia – Zebra White
- Leptosia alceste – African Wood White
- Appias ephephia – African Albatross