Definition

Noun: A family of flowering plants within the order Brassicales (historically placed in Rhoeadales), known as the caper family. It is a dilleniid dicot family comprising various genera, including shrubs, trees, and herbs, some of which are cultivated for their edible parts.

Examples of Usage

• The botanist specialized in studying the family Capparidaceae.
• Plants belonging to the family Capparidaceae often have distinctive flowers with long stamens.
• The classification of the family Capparidaceae has been revised in modern taxonomic systems.

Advanced Usage

• In taxonomic literature, the name "Capparidaceae" is often used synonymously or as a precursor to the family Brassicaceae (the mustard family) in broader classifications, though it is recognized as a distinct family in many contexts.
• The phrase "members of the family Capparidaceae" is commonly used to refer to the collective species within this plant group.

Variants and Related Words

• Capparidaceae: The standard, more common form of the family name, often used without the word "family."
• Caper family: A common name for this plant family.
• Brassicales: The botanical order to which this family belongs.
• Genus Capparis: The type genus of the family, which includes the caper bush ().

Synonyms

• Capparaceae: An alternative, accepted scientific name for the same family.
• Caper family: The common English name.

Notes on Meaning

The primary meaning is taxonomic, referring specifically to a group of plants. The term is almost exclusively used in scientific, botanical, or horticultural contexts. The reference to "dilleniid dicot" and "order Rhoeadales" reflects a historical classification system; modern phylogenetics often places this family within the order Brassicales.

Noun

1. a dilleniid dicot family of the order Rhoeadales that includes: genera Capparis, Cleome, Crateva, and Polanisia