Fumariaceae and Capparidaceae- Introduction

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FUMARIACEAE

Fumaria

Fumariaceae consists of herbs with watery juice but latex is absent. It is treated as a tribe or subfamily of family Papaveraceae by Bentham and Hooker. It is represented by about 19 genera and over 400 species. iIt is distributed in temperate North America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 4genera and over 40 species this family have been reported from India. Some selected Indian genera are: Fumaria, Corydalis, Dicentra, Hypecoum. 


ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

    1. Alkaloid protopine, found in Hypecoum procumbens and H. leptocarpum, is used in high blood pressure.
    2. Some species of Corydalis and Dicentra are grown as ornamental plants.
    3. Corydalis racemosa is used in eye diseases while C. govaniana roots are used against syphilis.
    4. Dried plants and seeds of Fumaria indica are used to cure fever and as blood purifier.




CAPPARIDACEAE 
(Capers family)



Capparidaceae mostly consists of herbs, shrubs or climbers. Because of the presence of parietal placentation and commissural stigmatic lobes, capparidaceae are closely related to to the parietalean families such as Brassicaceae, Moringaceae, Papaveraceae, Resedaceae, etc. Over 42 genera and 900 species of this family are distributed mostly in the tropics and warm temperate regions of the world. Only 7 genera and over 65 species have been reported from India, mostly from western and southern parts. Some selected genera are: Cleome, Capparis and Crataeva. Quite a large number of plants occur in xeric conditions. Roydsia is very common in Assam.


ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Members of capparidaceae have little economic importance. Yet some uses are:

     Ornamentals 

  • Capparis sepiaria, 
  • C. spinosa, 
  • Cleome chelidonii, 
  • C. spinosa (capers), 
  • Roydsia suaveolens are grown as ornamental plants.
      
     Medicinal
    • Capparis zeylanica leaves are used against boils and stomach aches; 
    • Cleome gynandra (syn. Gynandropsis pentaphylla) leaves and seeds are used for expelling roundworms, and juice from its toasted leaves is used to cure earache;
    • Crataeva religiosa bark is used for increasing appetite and reduction of bile secretion;
    • Maerua arenaria roots are used as a tonic and stimulant.
    Edibles
    • Capparis spinosa fruits are picked and form 'Capers of commerce';
    • Unripe fruits of Capparis aphylla (syn. C. decidua ) and C. zeylanica are also pickled and eaten in India;
    • Seeds of Cleome viscosa ('Hurhur') are used in curries;
    • Unripe fruits of Maerua arenaria are boiled and eaten.

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