Description:

• Herbs, shrubs or trees, sometimes scandent
• Leaves alternate, very rarely opposite, simple or 3-5-foliolate, sometimes crowded on abbreviated shoots, rarely underdeveloped or soon deciduous; stipules, when present, setaceous or spinescent
• Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemose, corymbose or paniculate, or flowers solitary and axillary, sometimes on abbreviated shoots or arising on old wood
• Flowers bisexual, very rarely unisexual, regular or rarely irregular, usually 4-merous
• Receptacle cupular, campanulate, infundibular or cylindrical; disc various or 0
• Sepals 3 or 4(5)
• Petals (0-3)4(rarely more), free
• Stamens 4-many, arising from base or high up on androphore (torus), sometimes accompanied by staminodes; filaments free, usually terete; anthers 2-thecous, opening by longitudinal slits, sometimes with small, apical appendage
• Ovary superior, sessile or more usually supported on long or short gynophore, 1-locular, with 2 parietal placentas, sometimes 2-locular by division of placentas, or multilocular; ovules few to many, often in 2 rows; style 1, short or 0; stigma often sessile, capitate
• Fruit a capsule or berry, usually stipitate
• Seeds reniform or subglobose, without endosperm

Nomenclature:

• Capparaceae
  • Sonder: 54 (1860)
  • Gilg & Gilg-Benedict: 144 (1915)
  • Pax & Hoffmann: 146 (1936)
  • Wild: 194 (1960)
  • Elffers et al.: 1 (1964)
  • Roessler: 1 (1966)
  • Killick: 118 (1970)
  • Fici: 37 (1993)
  • A.P.G.: 549 (1998) included in Brassicaceae

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 45, species 675, native to warm and tropical countries, often in arid regions
• Southern Africa: Genera 8, species 45

References:

• A.P.G. 1998. An ordinal classification for the families of flowering plants. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: 549 (included in Brassicaceae)
• ELFFERS, J., GRAHAM, R.A. & DE WOLF, G.P. 1964. Capparidaceae. Flora of tropical East Africa. Capparidaceae
• FICI, S. 1993. Capparaceae. Boscia, Cadaba, Capparis. Flora of Somalia 1
• GILG, E.F. & GILG-BENEDICT, C.S. 1915. Monographische Zusammenstellung sämtlicher Capparidaceae des tropischen und subtropischen Afrika. Botanische Jahrbücher 53
• KILLICK, D.J.B. 1970. Capparaceae (in part). Flora of southern Africa 13
• PAX, F. & HOFFMANN, K. 1936. Capparidaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, edn 2, 17b
• ROESSLER, H. 1966. Capparaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 47
• SONDER, O.W. 1860. Capparideae. Flora capensis 1
• WILD, H. 1960. Capparidaceae. Flora zambesiaca 1

Resources:

• Key to Capparaceae genera

• Capparaceae genera: