capsaicin Identifying Capsaicin Cultivars

[nmlarson]

Hi, All,

I was gifted a "mystery" pepper plant, which I suspect is an accidental cross. In trying to ID it, I've been looking through the forums for a "one stop shop" reference article on the identifying characteristics of the more common genus. What am I missing or isn't there an entry like that?

You know, growing characteristics, blossom color, approximate plant size, pod shape and color. What I'm looking for is something on just the basic 5 to 7 domesticated genus.

Is there such a thing here, or elsewhere?

 

[SpeakPolish]

Theres probably a better one, but http://www.chetbacon.com/peppers/Hotpeppers.html

 

[Bicycle808]

There's one genius: Capsicum. There are a few common "domesticated" species within that genius: annuum, baccatum, chinense, frutescens, pubescens. There are at least twenty other species within Capsicum, generally considered to be "wild" but many are being cultivated in ppl's gardens more and more commonly. Some botanists also recognize subspecies and such, eg C.annuum var. gloriosum, which are more or less annuums with tiny pods, like bird peppers.

I think it's also important to note that many Capsicum cultivars are the result of inter-species hybridization. These may show characteristics associated with both parent species, to varying degrees.

I don't know of any single source of information that quickly and easily shows quick ways to distinguish species of pepper plants. You might get the vibe pretty quickly if you keep snooping around on the internet and growing at home. Foliage, stem textures, and especially flowers offer plenty of hints, as do details such as blossoms-per-node. The shape and color of pods is not typically a reliable indicator, as those are some of the traits that growers are selecting in order to change.

I hope this helps. Stick around THP; you're bound to learn a lot *accidentally."

 

[nmlarson]

Thanks, Bike. Yes, I realized I misspelled it like exactly the moment I hit "Post." What you described is what I was hoping I'd find in one place. Maybe I'll start working on a reference document, as I learn more.

 

[Walchit]

Post pics to the pepper I.D. section.

 

[Bicycle808]

Thanks, Bike. Yes, I realized I misspelled it like exactly the moment I hit "Post." What you described is what I was hoping I'd find in one place. Maybe I'll start working on a reference document, as I learn more.

Good idea. I think the best place to start would be the flowers. Close picture of those tells you a lot, as can general info about the size on the Bloom's diameter, how many flowers per node, etc.

A great place to kinda get a sense of it, but probably not hard facts, is Semillas.de . Peter is a member here, and he sells chile seeds. His catalog is divided by species. And, for many of his offerings, he includes a picture of the flower. But, it is a commercial site designed to sell a product, and he does (of course) list some inter-species hybrids, often on the page of both parent species. So, I'd think of it as a way to get the general idea and maybe borrow some pictures; I wouldn't consider it to be hard research.

 

[nmlarson]

Good idea. I think the best place to start would be the flowers. Close picture of those tells you a lot, as can general info about the size on the Bloom's diameter, how many flowers per node, etc.

A great place to kinda get a sense of it, but probably not hard facts, is Semillas.de . Peter is a member here, and he sells chile seeds. His catalog is divided by species. And, for many of his offerings, he includes a picture of the flower. But, it is a commercial site designed to sell a product, and he does (of course) list some inter-species hybrids, often on the page of both parent species. So, I'd think of it as a way to get the general idea and maybe borrow some pictures; I wouldn't consider it to be hard research.

 
Thanks!  Agree, it's a great place to start.  What I want is a basic visual and verbal description of the five, six, or seven domesticated species.  How to look at it and identify it exactly the way you're describing. Flower color and configuration, pods per node, pod orientation (upright, pendular), etc.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

There's one genius: Capsicum. There are a few common "domesticated" species within that genius: annuum, baccatum, chinense, frutescens, pubescens.

Over the years I've often confused the genus-species terminology so I created the below chart to refresh my memory before posting.
 

 
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I don't know of any single source of information that quickly and easily shows quick ways to distinguish species of pepper plants.

While the ID link above by SpeakPolish pretty good there are many other variations to consider, one of which I recently read in Super Hot Mystery
 

Definitely see some Indian genes in those leaves.

In response to Cane Dogs post:
 

My input would be that I see some ruffled leaf edges which is so common on bhuts. Not super scientific, but given that and the elongated pod shape, I might suspect a bhut was involved.

Ruffled leaf edges = Indian genes.... So much to learn - so little time.