Capparis cynophallophora / Morisonia cynophallophora – Jamacan caper
Family:
Native to:
Habitat:
Capparaceae
Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to northern Argentina.
Dry and wet tropical forests, coastal thickets. Coastal elevations. 4 meters tall.
Ecological value:
Produces large quantities of flowers. Attracts a variety of birds. Slow growth rate. Can be cultivated as a hedge or as an ornamental tree. Hosts species of butterflies. Wind resistant and extremely
salt tolerant.
Material uses:
Wood, yellow to brown, heavy and hard, wood used for posts and as a source of fuel-wood.
Edible uses:
No record on this species.
Medicinal use:
Roots and leaves used for a variety of ailments.
Other details:
Full sun/part shade, evergreen. Belongs to a genus of flowering plants that is found throughout the Americas. Sometimes cultivated in parks or as a street tree. Strongly scented blossom that turn from white to lavender when they open, in just a few hours.
Research:
Hyejung Moon/Christine Facella
Sources:
“Morisonia Cynophallophora (L.) Christenh. & Byng | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science.” n.d. Plants of the World Online. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77183582-1/general-information.
“Capparis Cynophallophora - Useful Tropical Plants.” n.d. Tropical.theferns.info. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Capparis+cynophallophora.
Little E.L. Wadsworth F.H., ‘Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands’, USDA, Forest Service; Washington, 1964
“Jamaican Caper.” n.d. Florida Native Plants Nursery & Landscaping. Accessed November 28, 2023. https://www.floridanativeplants.com/shop/p/jamaican-caper.
Image source: Bob Peterson