Hemkand / Necklace-Berried Caper
Maerua oblongifolia
- Habit
- Shrub (Straggling)
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- January-June
How to identify Hemkand
Identify Hemkand by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub (straggling) habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Berries in bead-like necklace clusters.
- Confirm leaf shape: Simple oval/round, oblong.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-June.
- In India, compare location records such as Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Capparaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Hemkand.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Maerua oblongifolia
- Genus
- Maerua
- Family
- Capparaceae
- Habit
- Shrub (Straggling)
- Habitat
- Semi-arid and scrub jungles
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Arabia, Middle East, Africa
- Found in India
- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-June
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Simple oval/round, oblongrecorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Hemkand itself; the rest are typical of the Capparaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Hemkand itself; the rest are typical of the Capparaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- हेमकन्द Hemkand
- Tamil
- பூமிசர்க்கரைக் கிழங்கு
- Telugu
- Morinika, భూచక్రగడ్డ, భూచక్ర గడ్డ
- Kannada
- ನೆಲಸಕ್ಕರೆಗಡ್ಡೆ Nela sakkare gadde, ನೆಲಸಕ್ರೆಗಡ್ಡೆ Nela sakre gadde
- Malayalam
- ഭൂമി ചക്കരക്കിഴങ്ങ്
About Hemkand
Necklace-berried Caper (Maerua oblongifolia) belongs to the Capparaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana and 9 other states. It grows in semi-arid and scrub jungles. Flowering and fruiting run from January to June.
Capparaceae
Caper Family
Hemkand belongs to the Capparaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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