108 
FLORA OF ADEN. 
Capparis spinosa L. var. galeata Hook. f. et Thoms, in FI. Brit. j 
Ind. 1,178. 
Capparis cartilaginea Dene, in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2, III, 273. 
Capparis nncinata Edgew. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. XVI, 1213. 
Arabic name.-— Assef, Kaber (Ibn-el-Beithar) ; Latssaf (ubique), 
nutssaf (in Hodjela according to Schweinf.), 
English name: Caper. 
Description — A glaucous, leafy, diffuse shrub ; extremities pulveru’- 
lent. Leaves thick; cartilaginous, ovate or rotundate, tipped with a 
more or less curved or hooked mucro, 1 — 3 inches long, § — 2 inches 
broad. Stipules spinose. 
Flowers solitary, axillary ; peduncles stout, recurved in fruit. ' Sepals 
4, the larger galeate. Petals roundish. 
Fruit baccate, clavate-pyriform, 3 — 4 inches long, on stipes of about 
li — 2 inches. Seeds reniform. 
Flowers: Sept. 1880 (Hunter), Nov. 1888 (Schweinf. j. 
Fruits: Dec. 1847 (Hooker), Nov. 1888 (Schweinf.). 
Locality : — Between boulders on basaltic lava, forming dense bushes, 
above the coal depot of the Messag. Marit. (Schweinf.) ; northern slope 
of the Shum Shum Bange above Maala, Biggari Valley, ravine above the 
tanks (Defl.) ; between boulders near the tanks (Busse) ; the great valley 
between Steamer Point and the town (Marchesetti) ; without locality 
(Edgew., Hook., Anders., Birdw., Kuntze, Hunter, Hildebrandt) ; 
common (Krause). 
Distribution : — Sinai, Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia, Somaliland, Socotra, 
Sind. Zanzibar. 
Note : — Most forms of the Aden plant, though showing sometimes 
flowers of smaller dimensions, agree with the type of C. galeata which 
is so very common all over the region of the Bed Sea. The following 
forms of leaves have been recorded by Schweinfurth : orbicular-ovate 
(3 x 21- inches) with a petiole of f- inch in length, elliptical (If x 1 
inch). The leaves vary a good deal with regard to their shape, not only in 
Aden, but also in the neighbouring countries, but the plant never loses 
its characteristic habit : extremely thick coriaceous-cartilaginous leaves, 
ascending branches with regular zigzag turns, thickening of the branchlets 
which is quite out of proportion. 
Uses : — This species yields a volatile oil which has the properties of 
garlic oil (Pharmacogr. Ind. I, 135). 
The caper is mentioned by Greek and Latin writers and through 
them probably the medicinal properties of the root were made known to 
