, 1911-02-11
ABOUT CAPERS
AND
THEIR WEST INDIAN RELATIVES.


It is possible that some readers, who are
familiar with the use Of capers at the table,
yet know nothing about their nature and
origin others Will be aware that they are
picked fower-buds.
The plant that bears these hower-buds IS
a thorny bush, somewhat resembling in ha-
bit the brambles OF Europe and North Amer
ica, and from its spluy character 1t gets It's
botanical name Of Colpc9i8 Spi0o$". Tue
plant has its home III the southern countries
OF Europe and is especially grown III France
and Sicily, the largest export being made
8rom the latter place. The botanist Ljndley
tells US that the CappariS Splto8t is the
only European species OF the Natural Order
GapDari1ucel8, which has been built up from
the genus CupporjS and it's nenr relatives.
But though without near cousins III Ell
rope, the caper-bush has many such abroad,
among which are four species OF coQ1PnriS
found here IN Santa Cruz; one of them being
o fair-sized tree Qho almond-Iike clpparis)
with pretty white flowers III punches, while
the others are bushes bearing lar9e white
flowers opening ut dusk. One Of these IS
popularity known as rat bean and is roputed
to be poisonous.
People who take afternoon walks in the
neighbourhood OF our town may often have
liiO lIA VI D1OA4n biAC AVL - S'''hC
flowers Of this plant, or It's nearest cousins,
opening as the dusk Of evening approaches.
The spreading white plume which attracts
our notice, and, what is more important to-
the plant, will presently attract also the ut
tention of the twilight moths, consists OF
O multitude of long white stamens, and, to-
wards the middle OF the group, the equally
long style. Look at one OF the unopened
buds aud you will wonder how it IS possible
shat all these parts eau be tucked away IN
shat comparatively small case. Open one of
them and YOU learn what a skiIful packer
Nature is, for you find the stamens slowed
away with extraordinary bends and curves,
all of which Will presently be got rid Of as
the enyeIoping leaves QEo four outer ones,
namely the sepals of the calyX, nnd the four
inner ones, the petals Of the coroIla( are
pushed open by the growing stamens, winch
then straighten themselves out as though
rejoicing in their freedom in the open ain.
Another interesting fact in the history Of
the rat beans is that when the long irregu-
lar pods burst open they show u bright red
lining, against which the white seeds stand
out III a very conspicuous manner. What
is the use of that? The present writer Que
day found, quite accidentally, the answer
to that question: lat Fair Pain, where, coming
suddenly in front Of an opening leading far
Their into the bush, he saw a thrush perched
on a twig near to such q pod, from which
he was picking out the white beans. Eyi.
IDENTITY therefore the use Of the arrangement
is to attract the birds aud thus secure the
dispersion Of the seeds and the consequent
spread of the plants.
Besides the above named near cousins Of
the caper-bush in Santa Cruz, there are
other more remotely, but still plainly, rela-
ted plants, the bost known of which are the
weeds popularity called M~asS"abee, one of
which is the eota6le M1SSaon5e x another is
the vi2d Mas olabeef aud II third the g'toth2y
MussaDa6ee.t All three are very common,
and it would be an excellent lesson for \
young learner to get n specimen Of each
and put them side by side for comparison.
Let us call them Mol, No. 2 and NJ. 3.
The three agree in being upright growing,an-
nual weeds (No. 2 the ~tallest) and III having
leaves divided most commonly into five parts.
No. 2 is also distinguished by having q pair
of small prickles at the foot of each leaf
stalk, from which it takes its botanical
name of pmtgens, or p~rIcking. The flow