There are FIVE domesticated species of chile peppers and these are C. annum, C. baccatum, C. chinensis, C. frutescens, and C.pubescens. A detailed account of these plants is given below:
Capsicum annum: Capsicum annuum is the most popular among the 5 domesticated species of capsicums. It is the most common and widely cultivated species of capsicum. Capsicum annum group includes chile peppers of a wide variety of shapes and sizes with varying levels of colour and pungency. Capsicum annum is a native to the region comprising of Southern North America and Northern South America.
Major members of this group include Bell peppers or Sweet peppers, Jalapeno peppers and Chipotles, Serrano peppers, Chilaca peppers and Pasilla peppers, Anaheim peppers, Fresno peppers, Mirasol peppers and Guajillo peppers, Cascabel peppers, Cayenne peppers, Pimiento or Cherry peppers, Bird’s Eye peppers or Thai peppers, Friggitello peppers and Peperoncini peppers, Hungarian wax peppers, Banana peppers, Poblano peppers and Ancho peppers, and others.
Plant Description: Capsicum annuum is an herbaceous annual but can be grown as a highly branched, shrubby perennial. The plant grows to a height of one meter or more and has glabrous/smooth or pubescent lanceolate leaves, depending on the cultivar type. Flowers are solitary, white or off-white in colour, sometimes purplish colour depending on the cultivar. Fruits are berries that may be green, yellow, orange or red in colour when ripe. Fruit size, shape and pungency level also vary with cultivar type.
Gardening Practices for C. annum: Like other chile peppers, C. annum is also tropical to subtropical in growth habit and requires very warm, humid, frost-free climate with lots of sunlight for its growth. It prefers highly fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soils. Propagation is by seeds and seeds germinate in 3 – 4 weeks. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10cm tall. The plant needs moderate watering and manuring for its growth.
Capsicum baccatum: Capsicum baccatum is one of the five domesticated species of capsicum genus. Like most of the other chile pepper plants, it is a native to South America. Members of C. baccatum group are commonly known as ‘aji’ peppers. Three recognized varieties of C. baccatum are, C. baccatum var. baccatum; C. baccatum var. pendulum; and C. baccatum var. microcarpum.
Major members of C. baccatum group are Ají amarillo peppers, Aji habenaro peppers, Aji cristal peppers, Aji pineapple peppers, Aji lemon drop peppers, Bishop’s crown peppers, and Piquanté peppers.
Plant Description: Capsicum baccatum is an evergreen, tall growing, perennial shrub. When fully-grown, the plant grows to a height of 1.5meters. The plant is easy to grow and thrives well in warm, tropical climate. Some of the varieties produce strongly pungent/very hot fruits.
Flower Description: C. baccatum flowers are either white or cream-colored with yellow or green spots on the corolla and have yellow anthers. This is the main feature that distinguishes baccatum species from other capsicum species. In case of C. baccatum var. pendulum, flowers are cream-colored with yellow or green spots on them and the fruits are elongated with cream-colored seeds. Flowers are either insect-pollinated or self-pollinated.
Fruit Description: Fruits are large, fleshy, berries with numerous seeds inside. Immature fruits usually appear erect on the plant which gradually becomes pendulous (hanging down loosely from the plant) as they mature. Fruits of different shape, color, and size exist within C. baccatum. Fruits vary in pungency from non-pungent to very hot.
Gardening Practices for C. baccatum: Like other chile peppers, C. baccatum is also tropical to subtropical in growth habit and requires very warm, humid, frost-free climate with lots of sunlight for its growth. It prefers highly fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soils. Propagation is by seeds and seeds germinate in 3 – 4 weeks. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10cm tall. The plant needs moderate watering and manuring for its growth.
Capsicum chinense: Capsicum chinense is a member of C. annuum complex. C. chinense peppers are commonly known as the “bonnet peppers”. Like most of the other chile pepper species, C. chinense is also a native to the Americas (more precisely, Central America, the Yucatan region, and the Caribbean islands). C. chinense peppers are one of the hottest pepper groups in the world. They are known for their varied colours and flavors. They have high ornamental value because of attractive, evergreen foliage and multi-coloured fruits with different sizes and shapes.
Major members of C. chinense group are Habanero peppers (from the Caribbean Islands, Central America and Mexico), ‘Red Savina’ peppers (a Habanero cultivar), Yellow lantern chili (from the Hainan Island, South China), Scotch bonnet peppers (from Jamaica, Trinidad), Arriba Saia peppers (from Brazil), Datil peppers (from Florida), Fatalii peppers (from South Central Africa), Bhut Jolokia or Ghost Peppers (from Assam, India), Trinidad Scorpion Peppers (from Trinidad), Kambuzi peppers, Malawian peppers, Carolina Reaper peppers (from South Carolina), Adjuma peppers(from Suriname) and Ají dulce peppers (from Puerto Rico, Venezuela).
Plant Description: Plants are tropical to subtropical in growth habit and do not survive in cool, winter climates. Plant growth habit varies from small, compact perennial bush to tall, much-branched, perennial shrub depending on the cultivar type. Flowers are small and white with five petals. Fruits are fleshy berries with bright colours. Fruits vary in color and shape depending on the cultivar type. Bright colours such as red, orange, yellow, brown and purple are the most common fruit colours. Seeds are slow-germinating.
Gardening Practices for C. chinense: Like other chile peppers, C. chinense is also tropical to subtropical in growth habit and requires very warm, humid, frost-free climate with lots of sunlight for its growth. It prefers highly fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soils. Propagation is by seeds and seeds germinate in 3 – 4 weeks. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10cm tall. The plant needs moderate watering and manuring for its growth.
Capsicum frutescens: Capsicum frutescens is a member of Capsicum annuum complex. Like other chile pepper plants, C. frutescens is also a native to South or Central America. The plant is known for producing small-sized, but highly-pungent fruits. The most important distinguishing feature of C. frutescens plants are that their fruits grow erect on the shoots and remain so even after fruit maturity. C. frutescens chile peppers may contain as much as 1% capsaicin in their fruits. This is the most-favoured capsicum species for container gardening. A single, potted plant of Capsicum frutescens may produce 100 or more fruits in a season.
Major members of this group are Tabasco Peppers, Hawaiian Chile Peppers, Malagueta Peppers, Cabai Rawit Peppers (from Indonesia), Piri Piri Peppers (African Bird’s Eye Or African Devil), Siling Labuyo Peppers (from Philippines)and Xiaomila Peppers(from China).
Plant Description: C. frutescens plants are evergreen, short-lived, compact-growing, perennial shrubs. However, the plants can be grown as annuals in mild climate. The plants are highly branched with many stems and grow between 30cm and 1.5meters tall depending upon local climate and growing conditions.
Flower and Fruit Description: Flowers are white with a greenish white corolla with no spots and have purple anthers. Flowers are either insect- or self-pollinated. Ripe fruits are small, highly pungent, red-coloured berries which grow erect on the plants. Fruit shape varies from ellipsoid-conical to lanceoloid depending on the cultivar type. Fruit size measures about 10–20 mm long and 3–7 mm diameter.
Gardening Practices for C. frutescens: Like other chile peppers, C. frutescens is also tropical to subtropical in growth habit and requires very warm, humid, frost-free climate with lots of sunlight for its growth. It prefers highly fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soils. Propagation is by seeds and seeds germinate in 3 – 4 weeks. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10cm tall. The plant needs moderate watering and manuring for its growth.
Capsicum pubescens: Like other chile pepper plants, Capsicum pubescens is also a native to Central and South America (particularly, Bolivia and Peru). It is considered as the most difficult capsicum species to grow among all the 5 domesticated capsicum species due to its specific growing requirements. It is closely related wild species of capsicums such as C. tovarii, C. cardenasii, and C. eximium.
Major Distinguishing Traits of C. pubescens: The important traits that distinguish C.pubescens plants from other chile pepper plants are its hairy leaves along with its black seeds. C. pubescens plants have relatively a long life (sometimes up to 15 years) than other chile pepper plants and sometimes grow into a small tree and are occasionally referred as ‘tree chili’. C. pubescens plants can withstand cooler temperatures than other chile pepper plants but are frost-sensitive like other chile species. C. pubescens grows at higher elevations than other chile pepper plants.
Major members of C. pubescens group are Rocoto Peppers (e.g. Rocoto Longo) or Quechua Peppers (from Peru), Locoto Peppers or Aymara Peppers (from Bolivia and Argentina), Manzano (apple-shaped) Peppers (from Mexico), and Peron (pear-shaped) Peppers. Other members of this group include ‘Canario’ (yellow), ‘Rojo’ (red), and Orange peppers.
Its scientific name ‘pubescens’, means ‘hairy’, which refers to the hairy leaves of Capsicum pubescens plants.
Plant Description: C. pubescens plants are quick-growing, evergreen perennial, woody shrubs which sometimes grow as tall climbing plants. On full growth, the plant reaches a height of 60-75cm. The plant can grow to 2.5 – 4 meters tall under favourable climate and growing conditions. Leaves are glossy green, ovate with pointed tips with a 5–12 mm long petiole. Each individual leaf measures about 5–12 cm long and 2.5 to 4 cm wide.
Flower and Fruit Description: Purple flowers are either solitary or borne in pairs and stand erect from the shoots. Flowers are with five-toothed calyx, and have purple corollas, with purple and white anthers. Flowers have large nectaries. Fruits are large, fleshy berries which are normally pear- or apple-shaped containing numerous black seeds inside them. Fruits are highly perishable due to its fleshy nature.
Gardening Practices for C. pubescens: Capsicum pubescens is the most difficult of the five domesticated species to grow because of its specific climatic and growing requirements. The plant needs cool temperatures and frost-free environment for its growth. Capsicum pubescens is adapted to cooler temperatures and grows well at a temperature range of 4.4° to 21.1°C (40° to 70°F). However, the plant needs frost protection as it is frost-sensitive like other chile pepper plants. It prefers highly fertile, humus-rich, well-drained loamy soils. Propagation is by seeds. Transplanting is done when seedlings are about 8 – 10 cm tall. The plant needs moderate watering and manuring for its growth. The plant has a long growing season.
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