Capparis pyrifolia (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia
Introduction

Protologue: Encycl. Bot. 1: 606 (1785).

Synonyms

Indonesia: sanek (Sundanese), gagahan (Javanese), kaloang-kaloangan (Kangean)
Malaysia: kaju tujuh
Thailand: maengso (peninsular), kinkhee (central), naam haang nokkaling (northern)
Vietnam: cáp có mủi, ta cha.

Distributed in Thailand, Indo-China, Indonesia (Java, Lesser Sunda Islands) and the Philippines.

The wood is used in Indonesia and the Philippines for biliousness, stomach-ache and giddiness.

A shrub, sometimes climbing, 1-4 m tall, all lateral branches with their leaves in the same plane, young parts stellately hairy.
Leaves oblong or ovate-oblong, 4-14 cm × 2-6.5 cm, base acute, obtuse, rounded or cordate, apex acuminate with blunt tip, herbaceous, petiole 0.5 cm long, thorns patent, straight or slightly curved upwards, 1-3 mm long.
Flowers 2-4 in a row, pedicel slender, 1-2 cm long, densely hairy, sepals 4-5 mm long, petals very thin, 6-9 mm long, pubescent on both surfaces, white, tinged pale yellow or green, violet when older (honey-guide), stamens about 20, filaments white, 1.5-2.5 cm long, gynophore 1.5-2.5 cm long.
Berry globular, 10-13 mm in diameter, shiny black.
Seeds 2-6.

C. pyrifolia occurs in the lowlands and hills in dry locations, living fences, brushwood, and teak forest, from sea-level to 700 m altitude.

[74] Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1964—1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1964) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
[135] Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A—H) pp. 1—1240, Vol. 2 (I—Z) pp. 1241—2444.
[407] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.