By Johnny V

The Big 26 
                          Capsicum species (Chilies)

This compiled list was borrowed mainly from the Synopsis of the
genus Capsicum Species New World Distribution

Chapter Title:   "Peppers: History and Exploitation of a Serendipitous New Crop Discovery"

            &nb sp;     Author: W. Hardy Eshbaugh, in New Crops

            &nb sp;           Editor: Janick & Simon, 1993.

C. annum L. Colombia north to southern USA

C. baccatum L. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru

C. buforum A.T. Hunz. Brazil C. campylopodium Sendt. Brazil (southern)

C. cardenasii Heiser & Smith Bolivia

C. chacoense A.T. Hunz. Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay

C. chinense Jacq. Latin and South America

C. coccineum (Rusby) A.T. Hunz. Bolivia, Peru

C. cornutum (Hiern) A.T. Hunz. Brazil (southern)

C. dimorphum (Miers) O.K. Colombia C. dusenii Bitter Brazil (southeast)

C. eximium A.T. Hunz. Argentina, Bolivia

C. galapagoensis A.T. Hunz. Galapagos Islands

C. geminifolium (Dammer) A.T. Hunz. Colombia, Ecuador

C. hookerianum (Miers) O.K. Ecuador

C. lanceolatum (Greenm.) Morton & Standley Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

C. leptopodum (Dunal) O.K. Brazil C. minutiflorum (Rusby) Hunz. Argentina,
Bolivia, Paraguay

C. mirabile Mart. ex Sendt. Brazil (southern)

C. parvifolium Sendt. Brazil (northeast), Colombia, Venezuela

C. praetermissum Heiser & Smith Brazil (southern)

C. pubescens R. & P. Latin and South America

C. schottianum Sendt. Argentina, Brazil (S), Paraguay (SE) C. scolnikianum
A.T. Hunz. Peru

C. tovarii nom. nud. Peru

C. villosum Sendt. Brazil (southern). {2 commonly accepted species are not included above for these reasons:

1] C. flexuosum Sendt. = a variety of C. schottianum (according to A.T. Hunziker)

2] C. frutescens L. = C. chinense (according to the author and many others)}

C. eximium var. tomentosum probably deserves separate species status .

Species Utilized by Man

(b) White-flowered species annum baccatum chacoense chinense coccineum frutescens galapagoensis praetermissum

Note: Wild relatives of the domesticated peppers may not conform precisely to these descriptions.
            &n bsp;            &nb sp; Domesticated C. annum

            &nb sp;             (C. annum var. annum)
Flowers solitary at each node (occasionally fasciculate). Pedicels usually  declining at anthesis. Corolla milky white (occasionally purple), without diffuse spots at base of lobes; corolla lobes usually straight. Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at junction with pedicel (though sometimes irregularly wrinkled); veins often prolonged into short teeth. Fruit flesh usually firm (soft in certain cultivars). Seeds straw-colored. Chromosome number 2n=24, with two pairs of acrocentric chromosomes, e.g. Hungarian Wax, commercial bell peppers

            &nb sp;            Domesticated C. frutescens

Flowers solitary at each node (occasionally fasciculate). Pedicels erect at anthesis but flowers nodding. Corolla greenish-white, without diffuse spots at base of lobes, corolla lobes often slightly revolute. Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at junction with pedicel, though often irregularly wrinkled; veins usually not prolonged into teeth. Fruit flesh often soft. Seeds straw-colored. Chromosome number 2n=24, with one pair of acrocentric chromosomes, e.g. Tabasco pepper.

            &nb sp;            Domesticated C. chinense.

Flowers 2 or more at each node (occasionally solitary). Pedicels erect or declining at anthesis. Corolla greenish-white (occasionally milky white or purple), without diffuse spots at base of lobes; corolla lobes usually straight. Calyx of mature fruit usually with annular constriction at junction with pedicel, veins not prolonged into teeth. Fruit flesh firm. Seeds straw-colored. Chromosome number 2n=24, with one pair of acrocentric chromosomes, e.g. Habanero (Mexico), pimento de cheiro (Brazil).

            &nb sp;             Domesticated C. baccatum

            &nb sp;           (C. baccatum var. pendulum)

Flowers solitary at each node. Pedicels erect or declining at anthesis. Corolla white or greenish-white, with diffuse yellow spots at base of corolla lobes on either side of mid-vein; corolla lobes usually slightly revolute. Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at junction with pedicel (though sometimes irregularly wrinkled), veins prolonged into prominent teeth. Fruit flesh firm. Seeds straw-colored. Chromosome number 2n=24, with one pair of acrocentric chromosomes, e.g. Escabeche (Peru).

            &nb sp;            Domesticated C. pubescens

Flowers solitary at each node. Pedicels erect at anthesis but flowers nodding. Corolla purple (occasionally with white margins to lobes and/or white tube), without diffuse spots at base of lobes (though a drop of yellow nectar may accumulate in this position and simulate a corolla spot); corolla lobes usually straight. Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at junction with pedicel, veins prolonged into teeth. Fruit flesh firm. Seeds dark in color. Chromosome number 2n=24, with one pair of acrocentric chromosomes, e.g. Rocoto (Andes).

            &nb sp;       Wild species never utilized by man

Notes

Almost certainly more species remain to be discovered, particularly in Brazil (which is the center of diversity of Capsicum but still largely unexplored)

          buforum               dusenii             mirabile

       campylopodium          flexuosum          parvifolium

          ciliatum           geminifolium        schottianum

          cornutum           hookerianum        scolnikianum

         dimorphum           lanceolatum          villosum

annular -- arranged in or forming a ring.

anthesis -- the time of opening of a flower.

calyx -- the sepals of one flower collectively.

corolla -- the petals of a flower collectively.

fascicle -- a cluster, adj. fasciculate = forming a cluster.

pedicel -- the stalk of a flower. adj. pedicellate.

revolute -- rolled downwards or backwards.

sepal -- a member of the (usually green) outer whorl of
non-fertile parts surrounding the fertile organs of a flower
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