Capsicum baccatum
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Capsicum baccatum cv. 'Aji Cristal' |
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Capsicum baccatum is a plant from the family of the Solanaceae family , which the pepper is assigned or chilies. It is mainly grown commercially in South America, outside of this area it is mainly grown by hobby gardeners. The species differs from other domesticated chilli species mainly in the flowers. The base of the white petals has characteristic spots in green, yellow or brown.
description
plant
The plants of the species Capsicum baccatum are among the largest of the genus Capsicum . In the first year they can reach a size of over two meters and branch out strongly. The plants mostly grow upright, but there are also varieties that grow as a wide-ranging bush. The leaves are dark green, between 5 and 30 cm long and up to 20 cm wide.
In culture, the plants have a relatively late bloom, so they should be sown a little earlier than, for example, Capsicum annuum .
blossom
The flowers appear individually or in groups in the nodes of the stem axis . The whitish-greenish petals with scattered yellowish, greenish or brownish spots on the base are characteristic. The stamens are yellow to brown. The calyx lobes are clearly pronounced.
fruit
After fertilization , the fruit will initially grow upright, but the weight will cause the fruit to tilt down as it ripens. Most fruits ripen to orange-red or yellow, but there are also varieties that ripen to brown. The fruits are relatively hot with 30,000 to 50,000 units on the Scoville scale . The shapes of the fruits are very different. In addition to the small, round berry-shaped fruits of the wild forms, there are elongated-pointed, but also round and flattened fruits. The surface of the fruit can be smooth or furrowed.
Chromosome number
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.
history
The origin of C. baccatum is most likely in Bolivia or Peru and, according to archaeological finds, was already around 2500 BC. Cultivated in Peru. Finds in Huaca Prieta , an important archaeological site in Peru, showed that the species was cultivated before the Incas and that its properties were adapted to the needs of the people. The fruits became larger and did not fall off the plant when ripe, as is still the case with the wild forms.
Systematics
The species Capsicum baccatum was first described by Carl von Linné in his work " Species Plantarum " in 1753 . However, since he did not mention the yellowish Corolla spots in this description, other wild forms of the genus Capsicum , mostly representatives of Capsicum annuum , were often assigned to this species until the middle of the 20th century , the species actually described by Linné was named Capsicum microcarpum and the cultivated species described as Capsicum pendulum . In 1964 this mistake was made by Charles B. Heiser jr. addressed for the first time. W. Hardy Eshbaugh proposed a change in nomenclature in 1968 to match Linnaeus' original description. This system, which is still used today, divides the species Capsicum baccatum into two varieties:
- Capsicum baccatum var. Baccatum ( C. baccatum L. , Linn. Mant. 1:46)
- Capsicum baccatum var. Pendulum (Willdenow) Eshbaugh ( Capsicum pendulum Willd. Enum. Hort. Berol. 1: 242)
The varieties differ mainly in the size of the flowers and the fruits, Capsicum baccatum var. Pendulum also shows greater variability in the shape of the fruits.
The species Capsicum umbilicatum was also subordinated to the species Capsicum baccatum as a variety by Hunziker and Barboza in 1998 :
- Capsicum baccatum var. Umbilicatum (Vell.) Hunz. & Barboza ( Capsicum umbilicatum Vell. , Fl. Flumin. 61.1829)
Some sources have also assigned C. praetermissum to this species as Capsicum baccatum var. Praetermissum , but according to more recent findings this can be described as incorrect.
etymology
The scientific name baccatum is derived from the shape of the fruit - berry-like. The wild forms, the fruits of which are hardly larger than a pea and also have their shape, make this analogy clear.
Many varieties of this type are referred to as Aji, which is actually wrong, as this South American expression means nothing more than "chili", ie it includes much more than just C. baccatum . The term is phonetically derived from "ah hee", a term introduced by the Spanish conquerors from the Arawak of the Caribbean .
In the language of the Incas - Quechua - are the chiles as "uchu", whereby those used for seasoning, smaller Capsicum baccatum as "kellu uchu" are mentioned, the larger Capsicum pubescens "ROCOT uchu" and the most than today Habanero known Capsicum chinense are called “chinchi uchu”.
The small fruited wild forms are also called “arivivi” or “cumbai” in local parlance in the Andean regions.
use
The fruits of the plant are used to flavor dishes due to their sharpness. The focus is, as with all hot peppers, through the ingredient capsaicin caused.
Due to their very own, fruity taste, the fruits are used in various dishes typical of South America. They can be found in ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice), in salsas, in cuy (roasted guinea pigs ) and cooked with onions and herbs to make a sauce with cassava roots. The fruits are also offered dried and ground as chilli powder, where they are particularly noticeable due to their bright colors.
Important varieties
- Aji Amarillo
- Criolla Sella
- Lemon drop
- Peri peri
- Starfish
- Peppadew
See also the list of paprika and chilli varieties .
literature
- Hugh Popenoe et al .: Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation , National Academy Press, Washington DC, USA, 1989, ISBN 0-309-04264-X , ( online version )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Capsicum baccatum at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
- ↑ W. Hardy Eshbaugh: A nomenclatural Note on the genus Capsicum . In: Taxon , Volume 17, Number 1, February 1968. pp. 51-52. doi : 10.2307 / 1216151
- ↑ W. Hardy Eshbaugh: A Biosystematic and evolutionary Study of Capsicum baccatum (Solanaceae). In: Brittonia , Volume 22, Number 1, January – March 1970. pp. 31–43. doi : 10.2307 / 2805720
- ↑ Armando T. Hunziker and GE Barboza: Estudio sobre Solanaceae XLV: Sobre la presencia de Exodeconus en Argentina y una novedad en Capsicum baccatum. In: Kurtziana Volume 26, 1998. pp. 23-31.
