爪钾山柑 zhua jia shan gan

Capparis spinosa Linnaeus var. himalayensis (Jafri) Jacobs.

Shrubs, prostrate or hanging, 50-80(-100) cm tall. New branches white pubescent with dense long to short simple trichomes, soon glabrescent. Stipular spines pale yellow, 4-5 mm, often flat, apex recurved. Petiole 2-4 mm; leaf blade ovate to suborbicular, 1.3-3 × 1.2-2 cm, 1-1.25(-1.5) × as long as wide, fleshy when fresh but later leathery, midvein abaxially raised but gradually becoming obscure from base to apex, secondary veins 4(or 5) on each side of midvein, basal 1(or 2) pairs almost at base but inconspicuous when fresh, and abaxially raised, reticulate veins invisible on both surfaces, apex shortly mucronate. Flowers in upper axils, solitary; buds asymmetrical. Pedicel 4-9 cm, ± pubescent. Calyx zygomorphic; sepals 1.5-2 × 0.6-1.1 cm, outside with some trichomes, inside glabrous; sepals of outer whorl navicular-lanceolate, outside with several glands, basally shallowly saccate; sepals of inner whorl 1.7-3.2 cm, deeply saccate or galeate, broadest near apex, 9-15 mm deep in distal half. Petals dimorphic, ± as long as or slightly longer than anterior sepals; anterior 2 petals white, distinct, claw 3-5 mm, blade oblong-obovate and outside with trichomes; posterior 2 petals yellowish green to green, thickened, margin connate from base almost to middle, enclosed by sepals. Stamens ca. 80; filaments 1.8-2.5 cm, unequal; anthers 2-2.5 mm. Gynophore ca. 1 cm at anthesis, sometimes basally sparsely villous; ovary ellipsoid, 3-4 mm, glabrous, apically with vertical thin furrow and ridge; placentae 6-8; ovules numerous; style and stigma obscure, moundlike. Fruit dark green when dry, ellipsoid, 2.5-3 × 1.5-1.8 cm, apically with 6-8 dark red vertical thin ridges at carpel sutures, dehiscent; mesocarp red; pericarp ca. 1.5 mm thick; fruiting pedicel and gynophore 3-4 mm, 1.5-2 mm in diam., forming a right angle with each other. Seeds 40-60 per fruit, reddish brown, reniform, 3-4 mm wide, smooth. Fl. Jun-Jul, fr. Aug-Sep.

Plains, desert flats, open sunny areas; below 1100 m. Gansu (Anxi, Dunhuang), E and N Xinjiang, Xizang (Zanda) [NW India, Nepal, NE Pakistan, Tajikistan; SW Asia (Georgia)].