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Capsicum frutescens

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Solanales Family: Solanaceae Genus: Capsicum

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual or short lived perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems striate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple hairs on young growth.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to broadly lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Base subcuneate, oblique. Margins entire. Petioles narrowly winged above, 0.8–2 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils and stem forks or more commonly 2–4 per axil, pedicels 1–2.5 cm long, stout in fruit, erect. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx cupular, truncate, 3–4 mm long, the lobes minute. Corolla greenish white or greenish yellow, divided ca. 1⁄2 to base, the lobes triangular, ca. 1.5 cm in diameter. Stamens 5, inserted toward base of corolla tube; filaments ca. 1–2 mm long; anthers bluish, oblong, opening by slits, 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary superior, 2-celled, ovate, 1.5–2 mm long; style 1, erect, 3–4 mm long; stigma small, terminal.

Fruit: Berries erect; usually bright red; rarely purple or yellow; pungent; ellipsoid–conical to lanceoloid; 10–20 mm long; 3–7 mm in diameter. Seeds yellowish; flattened–lenticular; 3–4 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 24

Habitat: Low elevation; dry to mesic; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Only found in cultivation

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Only found in cultivation
Maui Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 189 (1753)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Capsicum frutescens East end of Molokai, mi 19; open valley floor. Residence of Mr. & Mrs. George Peabody open valley floor, sunny seacoast Preserved_Specimen Attractive, upright, spreading shrub, 5' ta;;' stems woody with lenticels. Lvs. dull forest green on both surfaces. Flws white, 0.25 0.5 diam. Frt yellow to green to red. Seeds numerous, small, white, flat. Very hot, spicy Evans, M. 18 Molokai BISH 1990-06-30
2 Capsicum frutescens Honolulu, Old Naval Station Preserved_Specimen Garber, D.W. 427 Oahu BISH 1920-06-17
3 Capsicum frutescens P.T.B.G., Lawai Valley Preserved_Specimen Sub-shrub with bright red fruit. Herbst, D.R. 2265 Kauai BISH 1971-12-28
4 Capsicum frutescens Koloa District: Kalaheo, yard on Kaloke Street Preserved_Specimen Shrubby perennial 1.5 m tall, main stem woody. Corolla pale green, rotate, anthers dark purple. Fruits fleshy, ripening red. Spicy fruit Lorence, D.H. 6437 Kauai BISH 1990-05-14
5 Capsicum frutescens Honolulu; University of Hawaii Manoa Campus; near Hale Manoa Preserved_Specimen shrub with greenish-white flowers and red fruit Herbst, D.R. 612 Oahu BISH 1967-09-20
6 Capsicum frutescens Paumalu Preserved_Specimen Meebold, A. Oahu BISH 1932-06-01
7 Capsicum frutescens Mapulehu Valley, near mouth rocky valley floor Preserved_Specimen shrub 1 m. tall; fruit scarlet Fosberg, F.R. 13530 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
8 Capsicum frutescens Kaena, mouth of Uluhulu Gulch thicket Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 9990 Oahu BISH 1929-11-03
9 Capsicum frutescens Koloa District. Kalahea, yard of house at 3581 Kaloke Road. Cultivated. Preserved_Specimen Cultivated perennial herb to 1 meter, sparsely branched, leaves med. Green. Fruits oblate-depressed, 3-lobed, red, fleshy, midly hot tasting, seeds white. Lorence, D.H. 10489 Kauai BISH 2015-01-25
10 Capsicum frutescens Sunset Beach sandy loam Preserved_Specimen shrub to 3' tall. White flowers, tiny red pepper fruits Afualo, D. 128 Oahu BISH 1975-03-25
11 Capsicum frutescens East Maui, Hana District, SE of Hamoa to Waioka, Makaalae edge of large Terminalia/Syzygium grove near old home sites Preserved_Specimen Shrub of 2 ft. Leaves dark, dull green above, paler below. Immature fruit green to yellowish-green, mature fruit orange - red. Flynn, T.W. 2575 Maui BISH 1987-10-27
12 Capsicum frutescens Nihoa Gulch, Kaena thicket along stream near taro Preserved_Specimen fr. light clear red St.John, H. 11136 Oahu BISH 1931-11-15
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