Egyptian caper

Description

Capparis aegyptia is a species belonging to the genus Capparis in the capris plant and was described by Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck in 1783 in the Encyclopédie méthodique. Botany The species was previously generally considered a subspecies or variety of Capparis spinosa, but is now given species status after more detailed morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies. The species name aegyptia means "Egyptian". The slightly fleshy leaves are ovate to inverted ovate, with rounded tip, and the shoots are gray-green to bluish-green, bluish. C. aegyptia grows on cliffs and steep slopes, from sea level up to 2000 m above sea level., often in the vicinity of human habitation, and occurs from the eastern Mediterranean to India (Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia). It is common in Israel and Egypt where the flower buds are picked and used as capers.