Capparaceae
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Capparaceae
Capparis spinosa (Caper)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Brassicales Family: Capparaceae Juss.
Genera
See text.

Capparaceae (Capparidaceae), or the Caper Family, as traditionally circumscribed is a family of flowering plants containing 28 genera and about 700 species of annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing, scrambling or rarely lianaceous of worldwide distribution. The family (sometimes spelled "Capparidaceae") is named for the genus Capparis.

Capparaceae have long been considered to be closely related to the mustard family, Brassicaceae, in part because both groups produce glucosinolate (mustard oil) compounds. Recent research (Hall et al. 2002) has demonstrated that Capparaceae as traditionally circumscribed are paraphyletic with respect to Brassicaceae, with Cleome and several related genera being more closely related to Brassicaceae than to other Capparaceae. Because of this, the two families are combined under the latter name in the APG II system, however it is recognized by several authors, like Kers in Kubitzki 2003, Takhtajan 1997, Shipunov 2005, and even more recently APG, through an update to APG II system as "Post-APG II family". ^[1]

Other recent classifications have continued to recognize Capparaceae but with a restricted circumscription, either by including Cleome and its relatives in the segregate family Cleomaceae, or by including these genera in Brassicaceae. Several other genera of the traditional Capparaceae are more closely related to other members of the Brassicales, and the relationships of several more remain unresolved (Hall et al. 2004).

Genera included in Kubitzki system

• Apophyllum F.Muell.
• Atamisquea Miers ex Hook. & Arn.
• Bachmannia Pax
• Belencita H.Karst.
• Boscia Lam.
• Buchholzia Engl.
• Cadaba Forssk.
• Capparis L.
• Cladostemon A.Braun & Vatke
• Crateva L.
• Cristatella Nutt.
• Dhofaria A.G.Mill.
• Dipterygium Decne.
• Euadenia Oliv.
• Isomeris Nutt.
• Maerua Forssk.
• Morisonia L.
• Puccionia Chiov.
• Ritchiea R.Br. ex G.Don
• Steriphoma Spreng.
• Thilachium Lour.

Genera included in Kubitzki system, but transferred to Cleomaceae^[2]

• Cleome L.
• Cleomella DC.
• Dactylaena Schrad. ex Schult.f.
• Haptocarpum Ule
• Oxystylis Torr. & Frem.
• Podandrogyne Ducke
• Polanisia Raf. (not listed by Kubitzki)
• Wislizenia Engelm.

Genera to be excluded from Capparaceae, according to Kers in Kubitzki

1.Genera that may be capparalean but do not fit within Capparaceae

• Forchhammeria Liebm.
• Neothorelia Gagnep.
• Stixis Lour.
• Tirania Pierre

2.Genera that are insufficiently known but whose descriptions indicate that they cannot belong to Capparaceae

• Borthwickia W.W.Sm.
• Keithia Spreng.
• Poilanedora Gagnep.

3.Genera placed in other families

• Koeberlinia Zucc. in Koeberliniaceae
• Pentadiplandra Baill. in Pentadiplandraceae
• Oceanopapaver Guillaumin in Malvaceae sensu lato, subfamily Grewioideae or Tiliaceae, as synonym of Corchorus L.
• Physena Noronha ex Thouars in Physenaceae

4.Genera not treated in Kubitzki, but usually regarded as Capparaceae

• Buhsia Bunge
• Niebuhria DC.

References

1. ^ Haston, E.; Richardson, J. E.; Stevens, P. F.; Chase, M. W.; Harris, D. J. (2007). A linear sequence of Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II families. Taxon 56(1):7-12.
2. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Cleomaceae

Further reading

• Everitt, J.H.; Lonard, R.L., Little, C.R. (2007). Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press.  ISBN 0-89672-614-2
• Hall, J. C., K. J. Sytsma and H. H. Iltis. 2002. Phylogeny of Capparaceae and Brassicaceae based on chloroplast sequence data. American Journal of Botany 89: 1826-1842 (abstract here).
• Hall, J. C., H. H. Iltis and K. J. Sytsma. 2004. Molecular phylogenetics of core Brassicales, placement of orphan genera Emblingia, Forchhammeria, Tirania, and character evolution. Systematic Botany 29: 654-669 (abstract here).
• Kers, L. E. (2003). Capparaceae. In: Kubitzki, K. (Series Editor):The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Vol.5: K. Kubitzki & C. Bayer (Volume Editors).Springer-Verlag Berlin, 36-56. ISBN 3-540-42873-9
• Takhtajan, A. (1997). Diversity and classification of flowering plants. ISBN 0-231-10098-1

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Capparaceae

• Photos at University of Hawaii site
• Capparaceae, as Capparidaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards).