Capparis multiflora - Many-Flowered Caper

Many-Flowered Caper is an erect shrub or small tree, about 2.6 m tall. Inflorescences are borne supra in leaf-axils vertical rows. Flowers are 6-10, white or greenish-white, fragrant. Flower-stalks are thread-like, about 6-23 mm long, slightly thickened while fruiting. Sepals are about 3-4.5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, deflexed, overlapping, nearly equal, outer pair boat-shaped, ovate-blunt; inner pair obovate, rounded at tip. Petals are about 5.5-6.5 x 3-4 mm, white, broadly elliptic or nearly round. Stamens are 8-12; filaments about 6-9 mm; anthers about 0.7-0.8 mm; gynophore about 5-12 mm long. Branches are sparingly branched, branchlets hairless; stipular thorns about 1 mm long, weak, straight, often absent; cataphyllus subulate, about 2-3 mm wide at base. Leaves are simple, alternate; leaf-stalks about 8-11 mm long; blade about 12-30 x 4-10 cm, elliptic-oblong, lanceshaped or inverted-lanceshaped, broadest above the middle, narrowed or wedge-shaped at base, abruptly tapering with about 5-15 mm long tip at tip, entire, membranous, hairless, dull greenish when dry; secondary nerves 8-10 pairs. Fruit is spherical, about 8-10 mm across, 1-3 in a row, reddish-purple, hairless, turning blackish; stipe slender, about 2.2-2.5 x 0.5 mm. Many-Flowered Caper is found in East Himalaya, Nepal to NE India and China, at altitudes up to 1500 m. Flowering: February-June.