The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 15 genera and about 430 species. The largest genera are Capparis (about 140 species), Morisonia (87 species), Maerua (70 species), Boscia (30 species), and Cadaba (30 species).
Taxonomy
The Capparaceae have long been considered closely related to and have often been included in the
Brassicaceae, the mustard family (
APG system), in part because both groups produce
glucosinolate (
mustard oil) compounds. Subsequent molecular studies
[(Hall et al., 2002, 2008)] support Capparaceae
sensu stricto as
Paraphyly with respect to the Brassicaceae. However
Cleome and several related genera are more closely related to members of the Brassicaceae than to the other Capparaceae. These genera are now either placed in the Brassicaceae (as subfamily Clemoideae) or segregated into the
Cleomaceae. Several more 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).] Based on morphological grounds and supported by molecular studies, the American species traditionally identified as
Capparis have been transferred to resurrected
genus names. Several new genera have also been recently described.
[(Cornejo & Iltis 2006, 2008a-e; Iltis & Cornejo, 2007; Hall, 2008).]
Based on recent DNA phenotyping, the Capparaceae are part of the core Brassicales, and based on limited testing, the following tree represent current insights in its relationship.
Genera
15 genera are accepted:
[ Capparaceae Juss. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 3 December 2023.]
Excluded genera
- Genus insufficiently known according to Kers in Kubitzki system, but whose descriptions indicate it cannot belong to the Capparaceae
Further reading
-
Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2006. New combinations in Capparaceae sensu stricto for Flora of Ecuador. Harvard Pap. Bot. 11(1): 17–18.
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Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008a. Two new genera of Capparaceae: Sarcotoxicum and Mesocapparis stat. nov., and the reinstatement of Neocalyptrocalyx. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(1): 103-116.
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Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008b. New combinations in South American Capparaceae. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(1): 117-120.
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Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008c. Anisocapparis y Monilicarpa: dos nuevos géneros de Capparaceae de América del Sur. J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 2(1): 61-74.
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Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008d. The reinstatement of Capparidastrum. Harvard Pap. Bot. 13(2): 229-236.
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Cornejo, X. & H. H. Iltis. 2008e. A revision of Colicodendron Mart. (Capparaceae s.s.). J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas, 2(1): 75-93.
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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 ).
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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).
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Hall, J. C. 2008. Systematics of Capparaceae and Cleomaceae: an evaluation of the generic delimitations of Capparis and Cleome using plastid DNA sequence data. Botany 86: 682–696.
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Iltis, H. H. & Cornejo, X. 2007. Studies in the Capparaceae XXX. Capparicordis, a new genus from the Neotropics. Brittonia 59: 246–254.
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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.
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Takhtajan, A. 1997. Diversity and classification of flowering plants.
External links
