Morisonia cynophallophora

Jamaican caper
Conservation status
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Capparaceae
Genus:	Morisonia
Species:	M. cynophallophora
Binomial name
Morisonia cynophallophora L. Christenh. & Byng (2018)
Synonyms [2]
Synonymy Capparis cynophallophoraL. (1753) Capparis emarginataA.Rich. (1841), nom. illeg. Capparis gonaivensisHelwig (1929) Capparis jamaicensisJacq. (1760) Capparis longifoliaSw. (1788) Capparis obtusaRaf. (1838) Capparis paucifloraKunth (1821) Capparis siliquosaL. (1759) Capparis torulosaSw. (1788) Capparis uncinataLodd. ex Eichl. (1865) Capparis verticillarisTurcz. (1863) Colicodendron ancepsShuttlew. ex Chapm. (1860) Cynophalla pauciflora(Kunth) J.Presl (1825) Morisonia gonaivensis(Helwig) Christenh. & Byng (2018) Morisonia jamaicensis(Jacq.) Christenh. & Byng (2018) Morisonia siliquosa(L.) Christenh. & Byng (2018) Pleuteron hastataRaf. (1838) Pleuteron siliquosa(L.) Raf. (1838) Pleuteron torulosa(Sw.) Raf. (1838) Quadrella cynophallophora(L.) Hutch. (1967) Quadrella gonaivensis(Helwig) Hutch. (1967) Quadrella jamaicensis(Jacq.) J.Presl (1825) Quadrella jamaicensis f. longifolia(Sw.) Iltis (2010) Quadrella siliquosa(L.) Iltis & Cornejo (2010) Quadrella torulosa(Sw.) J.Presl (1838) Uterveria cynophallophora(L.) Bertol. (1839)

Morisonia cynophallophora (synonym Capparis cynophallophora), commonly known as the Jamaican caper, is small tree in the caper family, Capparaceae, that is native to the Neotropical realm.

Description

The brand new leaves at the apical tips of twigs are folded in half showing only the whitish, hairy abaxial (lower or ventral) side of the leaf. The adaxial (upper or dorsal) side of the leaf is glossy and darker. Fruits are long and split to release several large, brown seeds. ^{[3] [4]}

Habitat and range

The native range of M. cyanophallophora includes Florida in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America as far south as northern Argentina. ^[5] It inhabits mangrove forests, hammocks and shellmounds in coastal Florida and is extremely drought resistant

Detail of apical twig showing young leaf folded to reveal the hairy lower surface

Flower and flower buds

References

1. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
2. "Morisonia cynophallophora (L.) Christenh. & Byng". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 7 April 2025.
3. Wunderlin, Richard P. (1998). Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. p. 318.
4. "A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Park Plants. John D MacArthur Beach State Park.
5. "Morisonia cynophallophora". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2011-01-26.

External links

Media related to Quadrella cynophallophora at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Capparis cynophallophora at Wikispecies