How Do I Identify The Species Of My Chile Pepper Plant? (Detailed Ver

taba(z5b MO)January 1, 2013

Choose between the two options at each numbered step to determine the correct species of chile pepper.

1	Seeds dark, corolla purple . . . . . . C. pubescens Seeds straw-colored, corolla white or greenish-white (rarely purple) . . . . . . continue to 2
2	Corolla with diffuse yellow spots at bases of lobes . . . . . . C. baccatum Corolla without diffuse yellow spots at bases of lobes . . . . . . continue to 3
3	Corolla purple . . . . . . continue to 4 Corolla white or greenish-white . . . . . . continue to 5
4	Flowers solitary . . . . . . C. annuum Flowers two or more at each node . . . . . . C. chinense
5	Calyx of mature fruit with annular (i.e., ring-like) constriction at junction with pedicel . . . . . . C. chinense Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at junction with pedicel . . . . . . continue to 6
6	Flowers solitary . . . . . . continue to 7 Flowers two or more at each node . . . . . . continue to 8
7	Corolla milky white, lobes usually straight, pedicels often declining at anthesis (i.e., the period during which a flower is fully open and functional) . . . . . . C. annuum Corolla greenish white, lobes usually slightly revolute (i.e., rolled backward from the tip or margins to the undersurface), pedicels erect at anthesis . . . . . . C. frutescens
8	Corolla milky white . . . . . . C. annuum Corolla greenish white . . . . . . continue to 9
9	Pedicels erect at anthesis, corolla lobes usually slightly revolute . . . . . . C. frutescens Pedicels declining at anthesis, corolla lobes straight . . . . . . C. chinense

(Adapted from Appendix II, page 2, Genetic Resources of Capsicum, International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, 1983 [Crop Genetic Resources Centre, Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations])

Thanks to NorthEast_ChileMan (Paul) for contributing this information.