The World Flora Online

Differs from Capsicum annuum mainly in the number of flowers (2-3), elliptic (not ovate to lanceolate leaves) and pedicels longer than the capsules.

Terrícola

Arbusto

Capsicum frutescens L., Sp. Pl. 189. 1753. Arbustos (herb?), erectos, ramificados, hasta 1.5 m de alto. Hojas solitarias o en pares, ovadas, hasta 12 cm de largo y 4.5 cm de ancho, ápice acuminado, base cuneada o atenuada, escasamente pubescentes; pecíolos 0.5--3 cm de largo. Flores (rarely solitary) usually two or more at a node, pedicelo 1--3 cm de largo; cáliz con umbones de hasta 0.5 mm de largo; corola 2–7 mm de largo, lobada hasta ca la 1/2 de su longitud, greenish white; anteras 1.5 mm de largo. Fruto una baya narrowly elliptical to conical, orange to red.Growing in disturbed areas (and cultivated), en todo el país; 0—1000 m; fl sep, fr sep—may; Moreno 12134, Stevens 20687; perhaps native to Colombia and Peru; introduced southeastern United States to Argentina, West Indies, Old World Tropics. This taxon was included in the concept of Capsicum annuum (from which it is very difficult to separate) in the published Flora de Nicaragua. “Chile.”

Undershrub 2-3 ft. high, much-branched, angular Nearly glabrous stems Flowers white or pale yellow. Nearly glabrous stems Flowers white or pale yellow.

Small shrub

Capsicum frutescens is a widespread species found from the southeastern United States to Argentina and has been introduced to many countries.

Small shrub, herbaceous or quite woody to 2 m tall, glabrous to pubescent, mostly fine-puberulent. Flowers, above the first node, more than one to a node; pedicels mostly thickening and erect in fruit; calyx cyathiform-to almost tubular, truncate or with small, deltoid umbos, lacking a constriction at the base near the pedicel; the corolla white or greenish, the lobes spreading to recurved; the anthers blue to violet, rarely yellow; the style exserted 1.5 mm or more beyond the anthers. Mature fruit erect, deciduous, soft fleshed, of various shape, mostly red.

Erect or spreading, ± bushy, short-lived perennial, up to 2 m tall. Branches often quite woody, terete or slightly angular, ± striate or somewhat channelled, glossy, pubescent when young to ± glabrous. Leaves usually solitary, rarely 2 appearing together; petiole 0.3-3 cm long; lamina membranous or papyraceous, 1.5-15 x 0.7-6 cm, lanceolate to broadly ovate or elliptic, base rounded to attenuate, and often unequal-sided, apex obtusely acuminate to obtuse, ± entire, ciliate, with scattered hairs, sometimes only along the nerves above, paler, duller, with a few hairs in the axils of the nerves beneath. Flowers 2-3(4)-whorled, rarely solitary; pedicels 10-20 mm long, ± terete, striate, slender, thickened upwards, glabrous, ± erect or curved distally, in fruit elongated to 30 mm and slender. Calyx ± rugose, 1.5-2.5 mm long, cupular or sub-tubular, 5- or 10-ribbed, truncate or with short, obtuse teeth or deltate umbos, glabrous or slightly pubescent; in fruit enlarged and surrounding the base of it. Corolla white or yellowish to greenish, rarely purplish, often with yellow markings in the throat, rotate-campanulate; limb 6-10 mm across; lobes 1.5-4 mm long, ovate-triangular, acute, ± ciliolate, spreading or reflexed. Filaments 1-2 mm long; anthers blue to purple, rarely yellow, 1.5-2.2 mm long, oblong or oblong-ovate in outline. Ovary 1-1.8 mm long, ± ovoid or ellipsoid, rounded or tapering, glabrous, 2-locular; style 3.4-5 mm long, straight, not or slightly thickened distally into a small stigma. Fruit erect from the nodes, green, becoming orange or red when mature, glossy, 0.9-2 x 0.4-0.6 cm, ovoid-oblong or irregularly fusiform, obtusely pointed, smooth, glabrous, very pungent or acrid, edible. Seeds brownish, 3.2-3.7 x 2.5-3 mm, obovate to sub-circular in outline.

Fruits more or less erect, with slender pedicels; flowers mostly 2-whorled.

Very rare garden escape, naturalized in disturbed places.

Indigenous to tropical America, now widely cultivated in mainly the tropics and subtropics for the pungent and spicy fruit. South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal.

A common roadside weed. Center Line Road (A2122), Ajax (A2653). Also on St. Croix and St. Thomas; Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles.

Subshrub, 0.4-1.5 m tall, with drooping branches; twigs nearly cylindrical to slightly angled, puberulent, becoming glabrous with age. Leaf blades 1.5-9 x 0.9-5 cm, elliptic, ovate, to lanceolate, chartaceous, the lower surface puberulent, especially in the axils of veins, the apex short-acuminate to acute, the base acute, cuneate, or obtuse to rounded, the margins wavy; petioles 0.5-2 cm long. Flowers solitary in leaf axils or less often paired, reflexed; pedicels 4-8 mm long (much longer in fruits), puberulent or glabrous. Calyx bell-shaped, truncate to minutely toothed at apex, 1-1.5 mm long; corolla white, 2-2.5 mm long, the lobes spreading, slightly reflexed at tips, anthers violet, connivent around the style. Berry ovoid, 6-9 mm long, turning from dark green to yellow and finally red; cultivated forms varying in shape and color. Seeds numerous, lenticular, light brown, ca. 3 mm long.

Leaves usually solitary, rarely 2 appearing together; petiole 0.3–3 cm long; lamina membranous or papyraceous, 1.5>i>–15 × 0.7>i>–6 cm, lanceolate to broadly ovate or elliptic, base rounded to attenuate, and often unequal-sided, apex obtusely acuminate to obtuse, ± entire, ciliate, with scattered hairs, sometimes only along the nerves above, paler, duller, with a few hairs in the axils of the nerves beneath. Seeds brownish, 3.2>i>–3.7 × 2.5>i>–3 mm, obovate to sub-circular in outline. Erect or spreading, ± bushy, short-lived perennial, up to 2 m tall. Branches often quite woody, terete or slightly angular, ± striate or somewhat channelled, glossy, pubescent when young to ± glabrous. Filaments 1–2 mm long; anthers blue to purple, rarely yellow, 1.5–2.2 mm long, oblong or oblong-ovate in outline. Corolla white or yellowish to greenish, rarely purplish, often with yellow markings in the throat, rotate-campanulate; limb 6>i>–10 mm across; lobes 1.5>i>–4 mm long, ovate-triangular, acute, ± ciliolate, spreading or reflexed. Fruit erect from the nodes, green, becoming orangish or red when mature, glossy, 0.9>i>–2 × 0.4>i>–0.6 cm, ovoid-oblong or irregularly fusiform, obtusely pointed, smooth, glabrous, very pungent or acrid, edible. Ovary 1–1.8 mm long, ± ovoid or ellipsoid, rounded or tapering, glabrous, 2-locular; style 3.4–5 mm long, straight, not or slightly thickened distally into a small stigma. Calyx ± rugose, 1.5>i>–2.5 mm long, cupular or sub-tubular, 5- or 10-ribbed, truncate or with short, obtuse teeth or deltate umbos, glabrous or slightly pubescent; in fruit enlarged and surrounding the base of it. Flowers 2>i>–3(4)-whorled, rarely solitary; pedicels 10>i>–20 mm long, ± terete, striate, slender, thickened upwards, glabrous, ± erect or curved distally, in fruit elongated to 30 mm and slender. Seeds brownish, 3.2>i>–3.7 × 2.5>i>–3 mm, obovate to sub-circular in outline. Erect or spreading, ± bushy, short-lived perennial, up to 2 m tall. Branches often quite woody, terete or slightly angular, ± striate or somewhat channelled, glossy, pubescent when young to ± glabrous. Filaments 1–2 mm long; anthers blue to purple, rarely yellow, 1.5–2.2 mm long, oblong or oblong-ovate in outline. Corolla white or yellowish to greenish, rarely purplish, often with yellow markings in the throat, rotate-campanulate; limb 6>i>–10 mm across; lobes 1.5>i>–4 mm long, ovate-triangular, acute, ± ciliolate, spreading or reflexed. Fruit erect from the nodes, green, becoming orangish or red when mature, glossy, 0.9>i>–2 × 0.4>i>–0.6 cm, ovoid-oblong or irregularly fusiform, obtusely pointed, smooth, glabrous, very pungent or acrid, edible. Ovary 1–1.8 mm long, ± ovoid or ellipsoid, rounded or tapering, glabrous, 2-locular; style 3.4–5 mm long, straight, not or slightly thickened distally into a small stigma. Calyx ± rugose, 1.5>i>–2.5 mm long, cupular or sub-tubular, 5- or 10-ribbed, truncate or with short, obtuse teeth or deltate umbos, glabrous or slightly pubescent; in fruit enlarged and surrounding the base of it. Flowers 2>i>–3(4)-whorled, rarely solitary; pedicels 10>i>–20 mm long, ± terete, striate, slender, thickened upwards, glabrous, ± erect or curved distally, in fruit elongated to 30 mm and slender.