Capsicum annuum (Jansen, 1981)

← Anethum graveolens

Jansen, Spices and medicinal plants in Ethiopia Capsicum annuum (Jansen, 1981)

Coriandrum sativum →

2.4 Capsicum annuum L.

’Capsicum’: perhaps derived from Latin 'capsa' (box, case), referring to the almost dry box-like mature fruits; another explanation is that it is a latinization of the Greek 'capsicon', derived from 'kaptein' = 'to bite', referring to the pungency of the fruits. 'annuum': derived from Latin 'annus' (year): annual.

Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. ed. 1: p. 188 (1753).

Type: 'Habitat in America meridionali'. ’Capsicum caule herbaceo’ (specimen s.n. in van Royen herb. at L, herb. No 908244400, lecto.!).

Synonyms

• C. frutescens L., Sp. Pl. ed. 1: p. 189 (1753).
• C. abyssinicum Rich., Tent. fior. Abyss. 2: p. 96-97 (1851).
• C. annuum L. var. acuminatum Fingerh., Monogr. Gen. Caps.: p. 13(c), t. 2(c) (1832).
• C. annuum L. var. cordiforme (Mill.) Sendtner, FI. Bras. 10: p. 148 (1846).
• C. annuum L. var. oblongo-conicum (Dunal) Cuf., Bull. Jard. Bot. État Brux. 33(3), suppl.: p. 860 (1963).

For more synonyms see Irish, 1898.

Literature

• 1832: Fingerhuth, Monographia generis Capsici. (tax.) 1851: Richard, Tent. fl. Abyss. 2: p. 96-97. (tax .)

[39]

• 1852: Dunal, Capsicum, in: DC, Prodr. 13, 1: p. 411-429. (tax.)
• 1874: Flückiger & Hanbury, Pharmacographia: p. 406-409. (use)
• 1891: Kuntze, Revisio Generum Plantarum 2: p. 449-450. (tax.)
• 1891: Wettstein, Solanaceae, in: Engler & Prantl, Die nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 1, 4, 3: p. 20-21. (tax.)
• 1895: Engler, Pflanzenw. Ost-Afrikas & Nachbargebiete, B, Nutzpflanzen: p. 280-282. (tax. + agric.)
• 1898: Irish, A revision of the genus Capsicum with special reference to the garden varieties, Ann. Rep. Missouri Bot. Gard. 9: p. 53-110. (tax.)
• 1906: Wright, Capsicum, in: Flora trop. Afr. 4, 2: p. 250-253. (tax.) 1912: Ridley, Spices: p. 360-383. (agric.)
• 1912: Chiovenda, Osservazioni botaniche, agrarie ed industriali, Monog. rapp. col. 24: p. 29-31. (bot.)
• 1913: Kostlan, Die Landwirtschaft in Abessinien 1, Beih. Tropenpflanzer 14: p. 232. (agric.)
• 1919: Hedrick, Sturtevant's notes on edible plants, Rep. New York Agric. Exp. Stat.: p. 134-140. (tax. + agric.)
• 1927: Marzell, Capsicum, in: Hegi, Illustr. 1. Mittel-Eur., ed. 1, B. 5, 4: p. 2556-2558. (tax. + agric.)
• 1933: Redgrove, Spices and condiments: p. 191-206. (agric.)
• 1934: Bois, Les plantes alimentaires chez tous les peuples et à travers les âges, 3, Plantes à épices, à aromates, à condiments: p. 68-75. (agric.)
• 1940: Paul, A study of the genus Capsicum with special reference to the dry chilli, Trop. Agriculturist, 94: p. 10-18, 63-78, 131-145, 198-213, 271-281, 332-353. (agric.)
• 1946: Baldrati, Piante officinali dell'Africa orientale, Centra Studi Colon. 32: p. 36-37. (use)
• 1949: Zeijlstra, Spaanse peper, in: van Hall & v.d. Koppel, De landbouw in de Indische archipel, 2B, Genotmiddelen en specerijen: p. 719-727. (agric.)
• 1950: Baldrati, Trattato delle coltivazioni tropicali e sub-tropicali: p. 199-202. (agric.)
• 1951: Smith & Heiser, Taxonomic and genetic studies on the cultivated peppers, C. annuum L. and C. frutescens L., Am. Journ. Bot. 38: p. 362-367. (tax.)
• 1953: Heiser & Smith, The cultivated Capsicum peppers, Econ. Bot. 7(3): p. 214-227. (tax. + agric.)
• 1955: Dalziel, Useful pl. W. Trop. Afr., ed. 2: p. 427-428. (use)
• 1956: Shinners, Technical names for the cultivated Capsicum peppers, Baileya 4: p. 81-83. (tax.)
• 1957: Ferrara, Tecnologia delle spezie, Rivista Agric. subtrop. & trop.: p. 202-206. (use)
• 1960: Lemordant, Les plantes éthiopiennes: p. 16. (use)
• 1963: Cufodontis, Enumeratio, Bull. Jard. Bot. État Brux. 33(3), suppl.: p. 859-861. (tax.)
• 1963: Siegenthaler, Useful plants of Ethiopia, Exp. Stn. Bull. 14: p. 6. (use)
• 1964: Maistre, Les plantes à épices: p. 221-234. (agric.)
• 1966: Terpo, Kritische Revision der wildwachsenden Arten und der kultivierten Sorten der Gattung Capsicum L., Feddes Rep. 72: p. 155-191. (tax.)
• 1968: Purseglove, Tropical crops, Dicotyl. 2: p. 524-530. (agric.)
• 1968: Eshbaugh, A nomenclatural note on the genus Capsicum, Taxon 17:_Q. 51-52. (tax.)
• 1968: Agren & Gibson, Food composition table for use in Ethiopia, CNU-ENI report 16: p. 15. (chem.)
• 1969: Rosengarten, The book of spices: p. 128-141. (use)
• 1969: Parry, Spices, 1: p.166-171; 2: p. 12-22. (use)
• 1969: Heiser & Pickersgill, Names for the cultivated Capsicum species, Taxon 18: p. 277-283. (tax.)
• 1971: Yanney-Ewusie, Taxonomic revision of the genus Capsicum in W. Africa, Mitt. bot. Staatss. München 10: p. 253-255. (tax.)
• 1971: Lemordant, Contribution à l'ethnobotanique éthiopienne, Journ. Agric. Trop. Bot. Appt. 18(1/6): p. 32-33, 160. (use)
• 1972: Rouanet, Un programme d'amélioration variétale pour la culture du piment à Awasa (Ethiopie), Agron. Trop.: p. 1032-1035. (agric.)

[40]

• 1972: Alkamper, Capsicum-Anbau in Àthiopien für Gewürz- und Farbezwecke, Bodenkultur 23: p. 97-107. (agric.)
• 1973: Bezuneh, The collection and evaluation of Ethiopian pepper cultivars for use in the development of improved commercial types, Techn. comm. ISHS 33: p. 143-147. (agric.)
• 1974: D'Arcy & Eshbaugh, New world peppers north of Columbia, Baileya 19: p. 93-105. (tax.)
• 1976: Amare Getahun, Sorne common medicinal and poisonous plants used in Ethiopian folk medicine: p. 52. (use)
• 1978: Eshbaugh, The taxonomy of the genus Capsicum, Acta Hort. 15: p. 13-26. (tax.)

Local names

• berbere, schirba, mitmita, karya (Amarinia);
• afrindschi (Agau);
• filfil-ghedut (Somali);
• ademedda (Gambella).

Trade names

• chilli, bird pepper, Cayenne pepper, red pepper, Capsicum-pepper (English);
• piment, piment enragé, piment z'oiseau (French);
• Spanischer Pfeffer, Roter Pfeffer, Beissbeere (German).

Geographic distribution

Although Capsicum peppers are now grown in every country of the world where they will grow, they probably originated from Central and South America. It is known that Columbus introduced Capsicum fruits from the New World to Spain towards the end of the 15th Century and that the plant spread rapidly over the whole world in the 16th Century. The Spaniards and the Portuguese were in fact searching for the true pepper (Piper nigrum L.), and understood that Capsicum pepper was a valuable spice. It is even more pungent than the true pepper and rather easy to grow (Purseglove, 1968). It is astonishing how this spice became an almost indispensable dietary ingredient for many people in the tropics (e.g. Africa, India, Indonesia).

In Ethiopia too, Capsicum is ubiquitous. The fruits can be found on almost every market and the plant is cultivated in every province. It is the most important spice of the country. According to Alkamper (1972) ca 2.5% (230 000 ha) of Ethiopian arable land is cropped with Capsicum every year. The main centres of cultivation are Ghion, Bako and Harar (Alkamper, 1972; Herb. WAG).

Description

A perennial, erect herb, often cultivated as an annual, sometimes suffruticose, 0.5-1.5 rn high, with a strong brown taproot and many brownish sideroots.

• Stem: irregularly angular to subterete, up 1 cm diam., often woody at base, much branched, sparsely to densely tomentose (rarely glabrous), especially near branchings, green to brown-green, often with purplish spots near nodes.
• Leaves alternate, simple, upper ones often almost opposite; petiole angular to subterete, up to 10 cm long, usually tomentose, rarely glabrous, light-green; blade ovate, up to 10(-16) x 5(-8) cm, acuminate at apex, usually attenuate at base, subglabrous to tomentose, usually tomentose on veins and near vein-axils, especially so on the veins beneath, light to dark-green, always paler-green beneath, margin sub-entire, serrulate to papillate or ciliate.

[41]

Fig. 4. Capsicum annuum L.- 1. habit plant part with flowers and fruits (⅔x); 2. underside flower (2x); 3. upperside flower (2x); 4. opened corolla with stamens (2x); 5. pistil (4x); 6. cross-section ovary (8x); 7. seed (4x); 8. seedling (⅔x). -1. PJ 869; 2-6. PJ 841 (spirit mat.); 7. PJ 916; 8. PJ 240 (spirit mat.).

[42]

• Inflorescence: flowers terminal or apparently axillary, solitary or sometimes in groups of 2-5, usually 5-merous, rarely 6-7-merous; pedicel irregularly ribbed, up to 3 cm long in flower, up to 8 cm long in fruit, slightly widening at apex, glabrous to slightly tomentose, light-green, pendulous or (sub)erect.
• Calyx cup-shaped, 1-5 mm long, 2-6 mm in diam., persistent and enlarging in fruit, usually with 5 conspicuous, usually slightly thickened teeth up to 1 mm long, or truncate, glabrous to sparsely tomentose, light-green.
• Corolla campanulate to rotate, tube 3-7 mm long, the 5 lobes ovate, 3-10 x 3-8 mm, acuminate, glabrous, margin serrulately papillate or ciliate, white, dingy white, yellow-white or greenish-white.
• Androecium: stamens 5; basal part of filaments adnate to corolla tube and 1-3 mm long, widened, usually ending in two lateral teeth up to 1 mm long; free filament part filiform, 2.5-6 mm long, glabrous, white or purplish; anthers 2.5-4 x 1-2 mm, dark-green to blackish, dehiscing by two lateral longitudinal slits.
• Gynoecium: ovary conical, 2-5.5 mm long, 1-4 mm diam., glabrous, dark-green, sometimes finely spotted with dark red-brown, 2(-3)-locular, placentation axile; style filiform, 2.5-5.5 mm long, white or purplish; stigma capitate, light-green to yellow.
• Fruit a non-pulpy berry, very variable in size and shape, always more or less conical, 1-19 cm long, 0.5-4.5 cm diam.; apex acuminate or blunt, base rounded or obtuse, persistent calyx sometimes surrounding base of fruit; immature fruits light to dark-green, turning yellow-orange and finally light to dark, often bright red when mature; near the apex the fruit is usually 1-locular.
• Seed orbicular, flattened near the hilum, 3-4.5 mm diam. , ca 1 mm thick, slightly rugose, yellow; embryo white, strongly curved, embedded in copious grey endosperm.
• Seedling: germination epigeal; taproot and side-roots whitish; hypocotyl 11-20 mm long, glabrous to slightly tomentose, green or purplish-green; cotyledons opposite, with a petiole 2-10(-14) mm long and an ovate-acuminate to triangular blade, 1-3 cm long, 2-6 mm wide, glabrous, usually light-green; epicotyl 2-14 mm long, usually sparsely tomentose, green to purplish-green.

Taxonomic notes

(1) In 1753, Linnaeus described two Capsicum species: C. annuum ('caule herbaceo', 'habitat in America meridionali', annual) and C. frutescens ('caule fruticoso', 'habitat in India', perennial). The only difference between the two species indicated by Linnaeus is the herbaceous (annual) versus the woody (perennial) character. In 1762, in the second edition of Sp. Pl., Linnaeus added another distinguishing characteristic: C. annuum ('caule herbaceo, pedunculis solitariis') and C. frutescens ('caule fruticoso, pedunculis geminis'), and he remarked that the fruits of both species showed an unusual variation. On the basis of these differences (C. annuum, annual, single pedicels; C. frutescens, perennial, paired pedicels), it is impossible to distinguish with certainty between the two species. Many authors have observed that C. annuum L. can also become woody and behave like a perennial, and may sometimes even have paired pedicels. Moreover, C. frutescens may have single

[43]

Fig. 5. Capsicum annuum L. -1-13. different shapes of mature fruits (⅔x). -1. PJ 916; 2. PJ 933; 3. PJ 987; 4. PJ 4398; 5. PJ 4532; 6. PJ 4534; 7. PJ 960; 8. PJ 4401; 9. PJ 1000; 10. PJ 904; 11. PJ 977; 12. PJ 966; 13. PJ 1001.

[44]

pedicels. In 1891, Kuntze joined the two species and considered the taxon C. frutescens L. as a variety of C. annuum L. In 1923 Bailey (as cited by Heiser & Pickersgill, 1969) preferred the name C. frutescens L. for the united taxa and considered C. annuum L. as a synonym of C. frutescens. Bailey's choice, however, conflicted with the Rules of the Botanical Code, so Kuntze's choice had to be followed.

Most current authors again distinguish the two Linnaean 'species', probably partly through the recent research of Smith & Heiser (1951). In their view, C. annuum L. has single pedicels (rarely paired), white, dingy-white or rarely purplish corollas, and C. frutescens L. has 1-6 pedicels at one node (one pedicel per node only in adverse growing conditions) and waxy, greenish-white corollas. Crosses between the two 'species' resulted in non-viable seed when C. annuum was used as the mother, and only a few viable seeds when C. frutescens was used as the mother parent. Although the differences between the two taxa as defined by Smith & Heiser (1951) seem to be clear, their 'key' frequently does not work for many specimens from Ethiopia, as combinations of characteristics of the two taxa occur often. Therefore I do not make the distinction for the plants originating from Ethiopia and consider all Ethiopian cultivated Capsicum taxa as belonging to one species: Capsicum annuum L.

(2) C. annuum L. has been typified by D'Arcy & Eshbaugh (Baileya 19: p. 98, 1974). They designated as the lectotype Herb. Hort. Cliff. 59 (BM). On the same page, however, they stated: 'The lectotype designated above is a specimen in flower and fruit with the numeral '1' and the word ’annuum’ written at the bottom of the sheet. This specimen is reproduced on microfiche IDC LINN 141: II. 3'. But, IDC LINN 141: II. 3 is a plant of the Linnaean herbarium, specimen LINN 249.1, and not the plant of the Hort. Cliff. herbarium. D'Arcy & Eshbaugh thus designated two different plant specimens as the lectotype of C. annuum. As it is not clear which of the two they meant, I reject both choices and designate as lectotype of C. annuum L. the specimen in the van Royen herbarium at Leiden (L): van Royen s.n., herbarium number 908244400. This choice seems better founded. Linnaeus first citation in Sp. Pl. under C. annuum is 'Roy .lugdb. 426 '. In fact, Linnaeus's descriptive phrase of the protologue 'caule herbaceo' is taken directly from A. v. Royen, Florae Leydensis: p. 426, 1740. The lectotype specimen in the van Royen herbarium (L) shows two plant parts: one part with leaves and three fruits, the other part with leaves, flowerbuds, flowers and one fruit. The specimens in the Hort. Cliff. and in the LINN herbarium are much less illustrative.

(3) C. annuum has long been cultivated and, probably as a result of human selection, many forms of it developed. Many authors tried to order this taxon and, as the variability is most clearly expressed in the fruit shape, most classifications were based on that. We now know that classifications based on fruit shape alone are without much practical value, as the shape of the fruit shows a continuum between the extremes. Fingerhuth revised the genus Capsicum in 1832 and recognized 25 species and 28 botanical varieties. In 1852, Dunal recorded 50 species with many varieties. In 1898, Irish reduced the number of cultivated Capsicum species to two: C. annuum and C. frutescens, and taxa, earlier described as species, were reduced to varieties (cultivars now). Although the classification of Irish is based on the annual-perennial character

[45]

for the species, and on fruit shape and calyx characters below the species level (and hence difficult to follow now), his names are well known and are still often used. Within C. frutescens, he only distinguished one variety: var. baccatum (L.) Irish (ovate to almost round fruits). Within C. annuum, he distinguished seven varieties. Their most important characters as well as the cultivars belonging to them are given in Table 2.

In 1953, Heiser & Smith published a valuable report on the cultivated Capsicum peppers. Within cultivated Capsicum, they distinguished four species: (1) C. pubescens R. & P.: corolla lobes purple, seed black, leaves rugose, stem and leaves rather densely pubescent; (2) C. pendulum Willd.: corolla white with yellow or tan markings on the throat and yellow anthers; (3) C. frutescens L.: corolla greenish-white, pedicels paired or severa) at a node (seldom solitary); (4) C. annuum L.: corolla clear white or dingy white, rarely purple, pedicels solitary, seldom paired at a node. In 1957 they added a fifth species: (5) C. chinense Jacq.: leaves broad wrinkled, fruits bonnet shaped.

In 1964, Heiser subdivided C. annuum into two varieties: var. annuum (with the 'cultivated' forms) and var. minimum (Miller) Heiser (with the 'spontaneous' forms). In 1968 Eshbaugh showed that the name C. pendulum had to be changed into C. baccatum L. on nomenclatural grounds and he subdivided C. baccatum into two varieties: var. baccatum for the 'spontaneous' forms, and var. pendulum (Willd.) Eshbaugh for the 'cultivated' forms. These subdivisions of Heiser and Eshbaugh into different varieties for cultivated and spontaneous forms seem rather artificial.

In 1966, Terpo stated that all cultivated Capsicum belonged to one species: C. annuum L. This taxon he subdivided into ssp. baccatum (L.) Terpo and three convarieties: annuum, longum and grossum. Although he declared that one had to follow the Rules of the Botanical Code, he designated no type specimens for his numerous taxa and gave only vague, undistinctive descriptions for the 59 taxa he created.

In 1974 D'Arcy & Eshbaugh changed the name C. annuum L. var. minimum (Miller) Heiser into C. annuum L. var. aviculare (Dierbach) D'Arcy & Eshbaugh for reasons of priority.

(4) The material I studied included no other taxa than C. annuum L. (including C. frutescens L.). C. annuum was not subdivided as this was impossible on the basis of morphology of the plants alone. If other characters like disease resistance, yield, growth period and pungency were also taken into account, the Ethiopian Capsicum material would certainly produce some valuable cultivars. For designation of Ethiopian cultivars, however, more research like that of Alkamper (1972), Rouanet (1972) and Bezuneh (1973) is needed, and the eventual results ought to be based on conserved materials in order to achieve reliable results and dependable data.

(5) Differences between plants raised at Wageningen and at Alemaya were negligible.

(6) The description is based on the following specimens:

Arussi Baie Begemdir Kofale market: SL 1282; Sire market: SL 142, SL 145. Goba market: SL 1218, SL 1222; Goro market: SL 1258-1259. Gondar market: SL 865, SL 918-919; Infranz market: SL 829.

[46]

Table 2. Capsicum annuum L. varieties as classified by Irish, 1898.

variety plant height (cm) petiole length (cm) leaf-blade size (cm) pedicel erect or pendent corolla colour corolla width (cm) fruit size (Iength, diam.) (cm) pungency fruit form 'cultivars' Conoides Fasciculatum Acuminatum Longum 30-75 30-45 45-75 45-75 1-H: ca 10 2-2! long 5-7! x !-5 9! x 3 5-9 x 2!-5 6-10 x 4-6! e e e&p e&p green-white white dingy white dingy white 1-H: ca 2 1-3 2-3 2-3 x t-H 7! x! 1-t H x t-t 7!-30 x 2-4! extreme acrid extreme mild to extreme subconical cylindra- slender, tapering base oblong cylin- conical, ± curved flat or drical, acumi- straight or depressed nate or obtuse curved Coral Gem Tabasco Orange-Red- Cluster Red Cluster Chilli Black Nubian Yellow Cluster Yellow Chili Long Red Long Cayenne County Fair Long Y ellow Cardinal Cayenne Long Yellow Nepal Chilli Elephant's trunk Procopp's giant Ivory Tusk Grossum Abbreviatum Cerasiforme 45-60 30-60 30-60 5-7! 1-2! 7!-12! x 5!-9 5-10 x 3-7 3-9 x 1-4 e&p e&p e&p dingy white dingy white dingy white 2-3 2 2-3 7!-15 x 5 2-5 long 1!-2! in diam. mild extreme large, oblate ovate spherical suboblong or ± rugose cordate oblate trun ca te, 3-4-Iobed Emperor Celestial Little Gem Monstrous Etna Prince of Wales Sweet Spanish Kaleidoscope Cherry Bell Red Wrinkled Yellow Cherry Sweet Moun- Princess of Oxheart tain Wales Yellow Ox- Ruby King heart Brazilian Upright Golden Upright Squash Yellow Squash