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

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.

Entered by Taba

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