Caper

Caper, common name for a family of herbs, trees, and some vines. The family contains about 45 genera and 800 species, which occur in tropical and subtropical areas, especially Africa and the Mediterranean region. Flowers are usually irregular, and some are showy. Although the number and arrangement of the flower parts are variable, the ovary (female flower part) is characteristically borne on a gynophore, an elongation of the floral tissue between the stamens and ovary, resulting in a distinctive stalked appearance of the mature ovary and fruit. The spider flower, a well-known garden annual, is a member of this family. The capers that are used as a seasoning or condiment are the pickled, unopened buds of the caper bush, a spiny shrub native to dry, rocky areas in the Mediterranean.

Scientific classification: Capers make up the family Capparaceae. The spider flower is classified as Cleome hassleriana. The caper bush is classified as Capparis spinosa.