The genus ‘Capsicum’ consists of different types of chile pepper plants. ‘Chile pepper’ is also known as ‘chili pepper’ or ‘chilli pepper.’ Chile peppers belong to the genus Capsicum and family Solanaceae. Chile peppers are one of the most valuable crops cultivated across the globe. There are about 30 species of plants in the genus ‘Capsicum’; however only 5 species are domesticated or cultivated on a large scale. Rest of the species are found in the wild. Chile peppers are believed to be originated in the Americas.
Five cultivated/domesticated species of chile peppers are Capsicum chinense, Capsicum pubescens, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, and Capsicum frutescens. Among these, Capsicum annuum is the most cultivated chile pepper species. Most of the chile pepper varieties that are available in the market belong to the group Capsicum annuum.
There are several wild species of chile pepper plants that can be exploited for commercial cultivation. Capsicum cornutum is one of these wild chile peppers. Most of the wild species of capsicums are of Brazilian origin. Major among them are Capsicum caatingae, Capsicum recurvatum, Capsicum mirabile, Capsicum dusenii, Capsicum longidentatum, Capsicum leptopodum, Capsicum buforum, and Capsicum campylopodium.
Capsicum dimorphum, Capsicum geminifolium and Capsicum hookerianum are wild capsicum species native to the region comprising of Colombia and Ecuador. Capsicum coccineum and Capsicum minutiflorum are wild capsicum species native to Bolivia and surrounding regions. Capsicum scolnikianum and Capsicum tovarii are wild capsicum species native to Peru.
Other wild species of capsicums include Capsicum cardenasii, Capsicum chacoense, Capsicum cornutum, Capsicum exile, Capsicum eximium, Capsicum galapagoense, Capsicum lanceolatum, Capsicum parvifolium, Capsicum praetermissum, Capsicum rhomboideum, Capsicum schottianum, and Capsicum villosum.
Capsicum cornutum: Capsicum cornutum is a Brazilian wild species of Capsicum. The plant is a large, bushy shrub. The chromosome number of Capsicum cornutum is 2n = 26 with 13 pairs of chromosomes. “cornutum” is a Latin word means “horn” which refers to the folded peduncle of the floral bud.
Plant Description: Capsicum cornutum is a large, perennial shrub with woody stems. It grows to a height of 1.2 to 2 meters under good growing conditions. The plant is pubescent and all stems and leaves are covered with dense hairs. Leaves are medium-sized, dark green and glossy. Flowers are white with purple or brown spots in the center and have a green corolla tube. Fruits are sunken, spherical-shaped, fleshy berries and are yellowish green in colour. Each fruit is divided into two chambers containing many black seeds in it. Fruits are pungent and may be used for flavoring different types of spicy food preparations.
Growing Practices: Like other chile pepper plants, C.cornutum is also subtropical and tropical in growth habit. The plants like sunny locations, and a warm, humid climate for their growth. Well-drained, sandy loam soils with high organic matter are the most ideal soils. Propagation is by seeds and the seeds germinate in 3 – 4 weeks. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10cm tall. It is fairly easy to grow these plants.
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