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Capsicum annuum L.Solanaceae- Tomato family |
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Description. Semi-woody herb or weak shrub, 0.5-2 m; twig ridged; leaves simple, alternate, mostly paired, slender petioles to 2.5 cm, blades to 4 x 9 cm, glabrous except for hair tufts in some vein axils below, elliptic, with base extending along petiole, margen entire and wavy, texture membranous, odor weak; flowers sessile, 1-2 between leaf pairs, usually pendent on slender pedicels, corolla white, to 10 mm across; fruit to 6 x 10 mm, oblong, red when mature, extremely hot. Similar species. Jaltomata repandidentata from the same habitat has larger leaves and flowers and the black fruit has a large calyx. Witheringia meiantha of wetter sites has small yellow flowers and round red fruits. Witheringia solanaceae is densely pubescent. Local distribution. Pacific slope at 700-1200 m. Habitat. Forest edge, overgrown pastures, along streams, understory of open forest. Species range. Mexico to South America. Abundance. Uncommon. Phenology. Flower: January-March, September; Fruit: March-May, October.
Herbivores. Manduca spp. (Sphingidae) Pollinators. Bees Seed dispersers. Birds Comments. This is the same species as the chile pepper cultivated worldwide. Variety aviculare is the form growing wild in our region; variety annuum is the cultivated form. Voucher No. Haber 7977 |
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