Capparis sikkimensis Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 43: 181 (1874)
Species name meaning 'from Sikkim', a part of India, from which it was first described.
Synonyms
Capparis bhamoensis Raizada
Capparis sikkimensis Kurz subsp. yunnanensis (Craib & W. W. Smith) Jacobs
Description
Shrubs or vines, 2.5-6 m tall. Branches pale purplish brown when dry, almost terete, pith pale red;
new twigs slightly flat, with grooves, densely short tan pubescent, later glabrescent. Stipular spines
to 5 mm, stout, recurved, often aborted or absent on flowering twigs. Petiole ca. 1 cm, trichomes like
those on branches; leaf blade elliptic, elliptic-lanceolate, or sometimes nearly obovate, often
tan-colored when dry, glabrous but abaxially slightly shortly pubescent when young but glabrescent,
midvein abaxially raised and adaxially impressed, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of midvein and
adaxially indistinct, reticulate veins not obvious, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex rounded,
obtuse, or sometimes acute. Inflorescences axillary subumbels or on flowering twig central and apical
part together forming a terminal panicle, 3-7-flowered, with abortive leaflets; peduncle 2-6 cm, with
dense tan trichomes. Pedicel 1.5-4[-5] cm, trichomes like those on peduncle. Sepals 1-1.7 cm; sepals of
outer whorl nearly orbicular, inwardly concave, leathery, outside densely tan tomentose; sepals of inner
whorl nearly flat, thin. Petals white, obovate, ca. 2 x 1.5 cm, membranous, inside tomentose. Stamens
(60-)85-95; filaments 3-3.5 cm, basally hairy; anthers ca. 2 mm. Gynophore 3-4 cm, glabrous; ovary ovoid,
ca. 3 mm, glabrous, apex with small mucronulate tip; placentae 4; ovules many. Fruit tan when dry,
ellipsoid to nearly globose, (3-)4-7 x 3-5 cm, smooth, apex acute to shortly beaked; fruiting pedicel
and gynophore together 7-9 cm, 3-7 mm in diam., thickened, woody. Seeds many per fruit, tan, 1.5-2 x ca.
1.3 กม 1 cm, smooth. [from Flora of China]
Ecology
Valleys, mixed forests; up to 2300 m.
Uses
Distribution
Burma, southern China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Local names
China: Ku zi ma bing lang.
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