Kair | |
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Conservation status | |
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Brassicales |
Family: | Capparaceae |
Genus: | Capparis |
Species: | C. decidua |
Binomial name | |
Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. |
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Synonyms | |
Capparis aphylla |
Capparis decidua is commonly known as kerda, kair, karir, kirir, karril, etc. (Hindi: करीर or कैर Sindhi: ڪِرڙ).
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It is a small much branched tree or shrub of arid regions in Africa, Middle East and southern Asia, including the Thar desert. It bears a mass of slender, leafless branches, the small caducous leaves being found only on young shoots. It rarely exceeds a height of 5 meters (15 feet).[1]
The new flush of leaves appears in November–January. Red conspicuous flowers appear in March to April and August–September and ripe by May and October. The pink fleshy berries are readily eaten by birds. It coppices well and produces root suckers freely. It is extremely drought-resistant and tolerates some frost.[1]
This is a useful plant in its marginal habitat. Its spicy fruits are used for preparing vegetables, curry and fine pickles and can attract helpful insectivores; the plant also is used in folk medicine and herbalism. Capparis decidua can be used in landscape gardening, afforestation and reforestation in semidesert and desert areas; it provides assistance against soil erosion[2].
The Mahabharata Book VIII: Karna Parva, Chapter 30, verse 24 mentions tree species as Sami, Pilu and Karir tree species as under in Sanskrit and IAST: