Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
caper
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, some forming a question mark, against a light blue background. (organic, fruits, vegetables)
Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz
Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
Quick Facts
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

caper

plant
Also known as: Capparis
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

caper, (genus Capparis), genus of some 250 species of low prickly trees, shrubs, or lianas (family Capparaceae). Several species are cultivated for their edible parts. The European caperbush (Capparis spinosa) is known for its flower buds, which are pickled in vinegar and used as a pungent condiment; the term caper also refers to one of the pickled flower buds. The buds and fruits of karira (C. decidua) are eaten as vegetables, and curries are prepared from seeds and fruits of C. zeylandica.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.