Caper Family

This is a shrub of the extreme desert, the fruits attract lots of birds that disperse the seeds and enjoy food.

Capparis cartilaginea is an evergreen shrub of the extreme desert. In Israel it is rare. Here u can see its white scented flower that opens in night time.

Capparis cartilaginea is an evergreen shrub of the extreme desert. In Israel it is rare. Here u can see its white scented flower that opens in night time.

Capparis cartilaginea is an evergreen shrub of the extreme desert. In Israel it is rare. Here u can see its white scented flower that opens in night time.

Capparis cartilaginea is an evergreen shrub of the extreme desert. In Israel it is rare. Here u can see its white scented flower that opens in night time. In the right side u can see the pouch where the nectar is accumulated.

I posted close ups of the flowers in the past years. http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Middle_East/Israel/photo16448.htm This time I saw the shrub in full bloom and was very excited. The species got extince in Israel and reintroduced around Ein Gedi reserve near the Dead Sea.

Reintroduced to Ein Gedi oasis after was extinct. This desert species reaches its northmost range around the Dead Sea basin (Israel and Jordan). Since it disappeared in Israel (was collected only 2-3 times in the past), seeds were obtained form Jordan and propagated. Now the shrubs are planted near the entrance to the Ein Gedi reserve and are doing very well. Interestingly this species looses its leaves and is very much adapted to the extreme desert. It is very different form the famous Mediterranean Capparis spinosa.

Reintroduced to Ein Gedi oasis after was extinct. This desert species reaches its northmost range around the Dead Sea basin (Israel and Jordan). Since it disappeared in Israel (was collected only 2-3 times in the past), seeds were obtained form Jordan and propagated. Now the shrubs are planted near the entrance to the Ein Gedi reserve and are doing very well. Interestingly this species looses its leaves and is very much adapted to the extreme desert. It is very different form the famous Mediterranean Capparis spinosa.

This shrub was thought to be extince in the wild in Israel, but this year a population of 24 shrubs were found in the southern negev Desert. A great joy to nature and plant lovers. I was lucky to find the last flower for this year in this site, the rest were already in fruit.

and this is the same flower, but with flash this time, which one do u prefer ? This shrub was thought to be extince in the wild in Israel, but this year a population of 24 shrubs were found in the southern negev Desert. A great joy to nature and plant lovers. I was lucky to find the last flower for this year in this site, the rest were already in fruit.

One of the few fruits that IU found on these shrubs, it was emptied already by birds that dispersed the seeds. This shrub was thought to be extince in the wild in Israel, but this year a population of 24 shrubs were found in the southern negev Desert. A great joy to nature and plant lovers.

Although it was not the blooming season, I found a few flowers in a few shrubs.

and here is the whole shrub

Although common in India and Pakistan, in the Middle East this atrnave leafless caper reaches its western border, hence very rare and endangered.

Although common in India and Pakistan, in the Middle East this atrnave leafless caper reaches its western border, hence very rare and endangered.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

A desert leafless shrub. Flowers small red and pollinated by insects and sunbirds. Fruits globose small, consuned and dispersed by birds. Spines hooked and small.

This deciduous caper is a rarity in Israel. It grows in the extreme dry desert and was almost extinct, recently it was propagated and reintroduced in the Ein Gedi nature reserve on the coast of the Dead Sea.

after spring is gone, its capers time. Beyond the commonest species - Capparis spinosa, there are several other species. One iaracteryzed is Capparis sicula that is ccharacteryzed by felted stems.

Capparis sicula is common laong the Jordan Valley in Israel. It has typical felted twigs.

Caper (Capparis spinosa) is one of the commonest of Mediterranean and west Asian plants. It is found on every wall or cliff. The young buds, young fruits and young stems are pickled and than edible.

During summer time u can enjoy cappers flowers, they are open in night time and early morning, after that they wilt. The flower produces nectar in its base which attracts long-tongued insects. I managed to take this picture with my pocket camera.

"Capers are very common in the cold deserts of Ladakh. Here you can see an open fruit, "waiting" for for birds to disperse its red seeds. Red is known to attact birds and is common in many bird-dispersed fruits, such as hawthorn, malberry and cherry. The identity of these populations is still unclear, since Capparis spinosa in the broad sense, was split into several geographic species."