Capsicum annuum
Capsicum annuum cultivars
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Capsicum
Species:	C. annuum
Binomial name
Capsicum annuum L.

Capsicum annuum is a domesticated species of the plant genus Capsicum native to Mexico.^[1]

[edit] Description

The plant is a perennial, but usually grown as an annual, with a densely branched stem. The plant reaches 0.5–1.5 m (20–60 in). Single white flowers bear the fruit which is green when unripe, changing principally to red, although some varieties may ripen to other colours including brown and purple.

[edit] Nomenclature and taxonomy

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Cultivation

While the species can tolerate most climates, they are especially productive in warm and dry climates.

Due to this climate tolerance, and the variety of flavors available, this New World plant spread across the world, possibly faster than any other crop.

Typical C. annuum flower, Royal Embers.

[edit] List of the cultivars

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• Jaranda ^[2]
• Jariza ^[2]
• Jeromín ^[2]
• Kekova ^[3]
• Sera Demre 8 ^[3]

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Use

[edit] Food

The species is a source of popular sweet peppers and hot chili fruit, and numerous varieties are cultivated around the world. Despite being a single species, Capsicum annuum has many cultivars, with a variety of names. In American English it is commonly known as the chili pepper or bell pepper. In Euro English paprika is the name commonly used to describe the sweet Capiscum, not just the spice prepared from the dried fruit.

In British English, the sweet varieties are called peppers^[4] and the hot varieties chillies^[5], whereas in Australian and Indian English the name capsicum is commonly used for bell peppers exclusively and chilli is often used to encompass the hotter varieties.

Common varieties include:

See more complete descriptions at: List of chile peppers

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (June 2009)

• Aleppo
• Anaheim (also called California)
• Ancho (called poblano when fresh)
• Bell pepper
• Cascabel
• Cayenne
• Chilaca (called pasilla when dried)
• Chiltepin
• Cubanelle
• De árbol
• Dundicut
• Fresno (Similar to Jalapeno but is more ripened and contains larger quantities of vitamins^{[citation needed]})
• Guajillo
• Hungarian wax
• Italian sweet pepper
• Jalapeño (called chipotle when smoked)
• Japanese
• Mirasol
• Macho chili
• Mulato pepper
• Niora
• New Mexico (known more widely as 'Anaheim')
• Pasilla (called chilaca when fresh)
• Pepperoncini
• Piquín
• Pimento (also called cherry pepper)
• Poblano (called ancho when dried)
• Puya
• Sanaam
• Serrano
• Sport
• Super Chili
• Tien Tsin

[edit] Medicine

Hot peppers are used in medicine as well as food in Africa.^[6]

John Lindley (1799-1865) wrote in his 'Flora Medica' (1838) about Capsicum annuum, page 509: 'It is employed in medicine, in combination with Cinchona in intermittent and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis etc. Its most valuable application appears however to be in cynanche maligna and scarlatina maligna, used either as a gargle or administered internally.'

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Capsicum annuum

• International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
• List of capsicum cultivars
• Paprika

[edit] Notes & References

[edit] External links

• Capsicum annuum (USDA)
• PROTAbase on Capsicum annuum
• Texas A&M University