caper (redirected from Caper berries)

caper, common name for members of the Capparidaceae, a family of tropical plants found chiefly in the Old World and closely related to the family Cruciferae (mustard family). Capparis spinosa is cultivated in the Mediterranean area for its flower buds—capers—which are pickled and used as a condiment. The spiderflower (Cleome spinosa) is a common garden annual. The family also includes a few species indigenous to the United States, e.g., the burro-fat (Isomeris), a common desert shrub of the Southwest. The caper family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales.

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caper

Any of the low prickly shrubs that make up the genus Capparis (family Capparaceae), of the Mediterranean region. The European caperbush (C. spinosa) is known for its flower buds, which are pickled in vinegar and used as a spicy condiment. The term caper also refers to one of the pickled flower buds or young berries. Buds of C. decidua are eaten as potherbs, and curries are prepared from seeds and fruits of C. zeylandica.

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caper

1. a spiny trailing Mediterranean capparidaceous shrub, Capparis spinosa, with edible flower buds

2. any of various similar plants or their edible parts