Skip to main content
Capparis arborea

Capparis arborea

9.9
A small Australian tree that has edible fruit like a pomegranate
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : Capparis arborea
  • In the spring, the Capparis arborea bears delicious fruit that resembles a pomegranate.

Examples

  • Many birds are attracted to the edible fruit of the Capparis arborea tree.

  • The Capparis arborea produces fruit that is highly valued by local communities.

  • In northern Australia, Capparis arborea is found in dry rainforest habitats.

  • The Capparis arborea is a unique species found in Australia.

  • Have you ever tasted the fruit of the Capparis arborea?

  • The Capparis arborea tree produces small, edible fruits that many people enjoy.

  • Locals often gather the sweet, round fruits of the Capparis arborea to make preserves.

Surface Forms

Morphology

Capparis + arborea

This is a compositional botanical binomial: 'Capparis' names the genus (shrubs/small trees) and 'arborea' is a Latin adjective meaning 'tree-like' or 'of trees', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a Capparis species that is a tree. Botanical Latin routinely forms species names this way across languages, making the meaning derivable from the parts rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Capparis arborea may come from Latin roots. The first part, capparis, comes from the word for 'caper', a small bud people eat, and arborea means 'tree', so the name gives a picture of a caper-like tree with edible, pomegranate-like fruit.