Capparis mitchellii
(Lindley ex F. Muell.) Lindl.
Wild desert orange, Wild caper
(c) Gavin Goodyear, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gavin Goodyear
(c) Tony Rodd, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
(c) Greg Tasney, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Greg Tasney
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
Edible fruit - raw or cooked. Not very palatable. When fully ripe, the pulpy flesh has an excellent, bittersweet flavour. The aromatic fruit is well regarded by the local Aborigines. The purple to black, ovoid or ellipsoid fruit is about 75mm x 75mm.
Where to Find It
It grows in tropical and subtropical places. It grows in inland areas in Australia. They can grow on most soils. They will not tolerate poor drainage. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-12.
Australia*,
How to Identify
A tall shrub or small spreading tree. It grows 3-10 m high. The branches have spines. The leaves are oval and rigid and leathery. They are 2-6 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The flowers are white or cream. They are about 5 cm across. They are on stalks 3-4 cm long. They occur singly in the axils of leaves or in small clumps near the ends of branches. The fruit are berries. They are 4-7 cm across. They are round and purple or dull orange. The fruit are edible.
Nutrition Score: 57/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 63.1 | 500 | 120 | 5.8 | — | 74 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
How to Grow
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings.
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe. Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Wikipedia
Source ↗The wild orange is an Australian native plant found in dry inland areas of Australia. Its scientific name is Capparis mitchellii. It is not related to oranges, nor to the Osage-orange which is known as "wild orange" in North America, but to capers. Used by Aboriginal Australians as bush tucker long before European settlement in Australia, the fruit is a good source of vitamin C and may be enjoyed raw or in sweet and savoury dishes.
Production
Fruit need to be very ripe.
Notes
There are about 250 Capparis species. There are about 50 Capparis species in tropical America.
Names & Synonyms
Atakwey, Atwakey, Bumbil, Bumble tree, Bambul, Kajawarri, Native Orange, Tree Caper
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