Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum, flowering plant of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), widely cultivated for the hot or mild peppers of its thousands of varieties and cultivars. Capsicum annuum is the most economically important of the species in the Capsicum genus. Its common forms include bell, poblano, cayenne, pimiento (including those used to make paprika), jalapeño, serrano, and various other chili peppers. The fruits of this species are integral ingredients in the cuisines of many countries worldwide. The plant is also grown as an ornamental or as a source of medicine.

Peppers can be eaten raw, cooked, pickled, roasted, or dehydrated. Pungent chilies can be used as condiments or spices for seasoning. Some peppers are also used as colouring in some foods. Pepper extracts are used in pharmaceutical products for such conditions as arthritis and athlete’s foot. The fruits contain many phytochemicals, including vitamin C, vitamin A, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids, as well as capsaicinoids, which are spicy components of hot peppers.

History

Archaeological and genetic evidence indicates that the wild ancestors of C. annuum evolved in northern South America. Like other peppers, the species was spread by birds before it attracted human attention. Birds lack the sense receptors for capsaicinoids and are thus unaffected by a pepper’s spiciness; the seeds pass unharmed through birds’ digestive systems and are excreted in new places.

The plant was first domesticated by Indigenous peoples in present-day Mexico approximately 6,000–7,000 years ago. Chilies were an important food to many Indigenous populations, including the Aztecs. Returning from one of his voyages to the New World, Christopher Columbus took the seeds to Europe, and the species quickly spread across the continent and to Asia and Africa.

Physical description

The plant is an herb or small shrub that grows to a height of 0.3–1.2 metres (1–4 feet) and a width of 15–30 cm (6–12 inches). Its glossy leaves are roughly oval in shape with smooth margins and can reach up to 7.5 cm (3 inches) in length. The leaves of some cultivars turn dark purple or black as the plant grows.

The star- or bell-shaped flowers have 4–5 petals and are white, greenish, or purple or lavender in colour. The fruits are true berries and come in many shapes and sizes. For example, bell peppers are large, roundish, and furrowed, whereas cayenne peppers are long and thin. Depending on the cultivar, the fruits may be green, red, yellow, orange, or black, and many change colour as they mature. Given that the myriad of forms cross-pollinate easily, varieties and cultivars are often difficult to quantify and are usually classified by characteristics of the fruits, such as size, shape, colour, flavour, and pungency.

Cultivation

The many varieties and cultivars of C. annuum are propagated from seed. The species is frost-tender, and seedlings are often started in greenhouses and transplanted outdoors when they are six to eight weeks old, if the threat of frost has passed. The plant can survive as a short-lived perennial in warm climates but is frequently grown as an annual.

The species is heat- and drought-resistant, and the pungency of the fruits of some cultivars make the plants resistant to damage by deer and other animals. The plant grows well in rich well-drained soil. It does best in full sun and when its roots are left undisturbed. The plants typically bloom in the summer and fruit in the summer and early fall.

Capsicum annuum is affected by stem and root rot, fungal and bacterial leaf spot, mosaic virus, and wilt. The plants may suffer damage from insects, including whiteflies, aphids, pepper maggots, cutworms, and Colorado potato beetles. The species is a host plant for the potato tuber moth.