Capparis incanescens - Greyish Caper

Greyish Caper is a shrub up to 3 m, much branched, quite similar to Wild Caper Bush. Twigs are stout, zig-zag, velvet-hairy or rarely finely velvet-hairy on maturity. The hairs give the plant a greyish appearance. Flowers are borne in corymbs or umbels-like clusters. 8-12 mm long, 10-15-flowered, at branch-ends and on lateral branches. Flowers are scentless, 6-8 mm across, flower-stalks 5-8 mm long, hairless. Sepals are in two whorls, almost equal, ovate, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2.5 mm. Petals are 4, inverted-lanceshaped, tip pointed to blunt, 3.5-5 x 1.2-2 mm, hairless, creamy-white. Stamens are 20-24, filaments 3-6 mm long, white; anthers basifixed, creamy white. Thorns are numerous, recurved 4-6 mm long. Leaves are lanceshaped to elliptic lanceshaped or inverted-lanceshaped; 3-5 cm x 1-1.5 cm long; entire at margins, tip with a short sharp point, base blunt to rounded; both surfaces velvet-hairy, on maturity upper surface turning finely velvet-hairy; midrib prominent, nerves 5-6 pairs, leaf-stalks 3-6 mm. Flowers are borne in corymb or umbels-like clusters. 8-12 mm long, 10-15-flowered, at branch-ends and on lateral branches. Flowers are scentless, 6-8 mm across, flower-stalks 5-8 mm long, hairless. Sepals are in two whorls, almost equal, ovate, 3.5-4 x 1.5-2.5 mm. Petals are 4, inverted-lanceshaped, tip pointed to blunt, 3.5-5 x 1.2-2 mm, hairless, creamy-white. Stamens are 20-24, filaments 3-6 mm long, white; anthers basifixed, creamy white. Fruit is a berry, spherical, 1-1.2 cm across, dark purple when ripe. Greyish Caper is endemic to Tamil Nadu. Flowering: March-May.