Knowra Capsicum Capsicum Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It includes domesticated peppers and their wild relatives, ranging from sweet forms to pungent chili peppers.
Capsicum annuum : A Capsicum species that includes bell peppers, jalapeños, and many other cultivated peppers. It is the most widely cultivated species and contains many familiar pepper varieties.
Bell pepper : A large, mild Capsicum fruit, usually harvested while green or after ripening to another color. It is a familiar sweet cultivar group without noticeable capsaicin heat.
Domestication of plants : The process by which human selection changes wild plants into crops adapted to cultivation and use. Human selection transformed wild Capsicum ancestors into diverse cultivated peppers.
Black pepper : A spice made from the dried fruits of Piper nigrum, a tropical vine in the family Piperaceae. Despite the shared name and pungency, it comes from a different plant family.
Capsicum chinense : A cultivated Capsicum species that includes habanero and Scotch bonnet peppers. Its cultivars include some of the world’s most pungent peppers.
Jalapeño : A medium-sized, moderately pungent chili pepper cultivar of Capsicum annuum. It illustrates a widely cultivated, moderately hot pepper.
Mesoamerica : A cultural and geographic region extending from central Mexico into Central America. Archaeological evidence places early pepper cultivation in this region.
Sichuan pepper : A spice made from the husks of fruits in the genus Zanthoxylum. Its numbing sensation and botanical origin differ from Capsicum’s chili heat.
Capsicum frutescens : A Capsicum species that includes tabasco peppers and other small, pungent cultivars. It is a distinct cultivated species with peppers used in sauces.
Habanero : A small, intensely pungent chili pepper cultivar associated with Capsicum chinense. It exemplifies the high pungency found in some domesticated peppers.
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