Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser & Pickersgill, Baileya 19 (4): 156. 1975.

Barboza, Gloria E., Garcia, Carolina Carrizo, Bianchetti, Luciano de Bem, Romero, Maria V. & Scaldaferro, Marisel, 2022, Monograph of wild and cultivated chili peppers (Capsicum L., Solanaceae), PhytoKeys 200, pp. 1-423 : 1

1b. Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum (Dunal) Heiser & Pickersgill, Baileya 19 (4): 156. 1975.

Figs 22 , 23

Capsicum hispidum Dunal var. glabriusculum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 420. 1852. Type. [United States of America. Texas: Bexar Co., San Antonio]: "Mexico, circa Bejar", Sep 1828, J.L. Berlandier 1863 (lectotype, designated by Barboza 2011, pg. 27: P [P00410138]; isolectotypes, BM [BM000775839], F [F0072795F, acc. # 680282], G [G00390278], NY [000138591], P [P00409852], YU [YU.065273]).

Capsicum minimum Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8, no. 10. 1768. Type. "Cultivated in England" (no specimens cited; no original material located).

Capsicum havanense Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. [H.B.K.] 3: 38. 1818. Type. [Cuba]. "in arenosis maritimis, prope Havanam (Insulae Cubae)" [Havana] s.d., F.W.H.A. von Humboldt & A.J.A. Bonpland 4518 (lectotype, designated here: P [P00670653]).

Capsicum indicum Dierb. var. aviculare Dierb., Arch. Apotheker-Vereins Nördl. Teutschl. 30(1): 30. 1829. Type. Based on Capsicum minimum Mill. and C. microcarpon DC. (cited in synonymy), PANAMA: Coclé, 10 mi. E of Nata at Rio Grande, 4 Jan 1969, E.L. Tyson 5222 (neotype, designated here: MO [MO-562584, acc. # 1980106]; isoneotype, FSU [000064909, acc. # 119808]).

Capsicum frutescens L. var. minus Fingerh., Monogr. Capsic.: 17. 1832. Type. "Crecit in India orientali et America meridionali" (no specimens cited; lectotype, designated here [illustration]: " Capsicum rubrum minimum " Rumphius, Herbarium Amboinense 5, Tab. 88, fig. 2, 1747]).

Capsicum pendulum Willd. var. minus Fingerh., Monogr. Capsic.: 25. 1832. Type. Based on Capsicum havanense Kunth.

Capsicum chlorocladum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 415. 1852. Type. Mexico. Tamaulipas: "Tampico da Tamaulipas", 1827, J.L. Berlandier 97 (lectotype, designated here: G-DC [G00131884]; isolectotypes: BM [BM000775807, BM000775821], G [G00342805], F [v0072794F, acc. # 680277], LE [LE01072484], MPU [MPU023049], P [P00410031, P00410147, P00409849]).

Capsicum laurifolium Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 418. 1852. Type. Brazil. Bahia: "partie mérid. de la prov. de Bahia", 1840, J.S. Blanchet 3098 A (lectotype, designated here: G-DC [G00131882]; isolectotypes: MPU [MPU023046, MPU023047).

Capsicum hispidum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 419. 1852. Type. Mexico. Tamaulipas: circa Tupan et Tampico de Tamaulipas, 1827, J.L. Berlandier 152 (lectotype, designated here: G-DC [G00131880]; isolectotypes: BM [BM000775838], G [G00390276], G [G00390277], MO [MO-562486, acc. # 1690380], MPU [MPU013437], P [P00409850, P00410137]).

Capsicum angustifolium Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 420. 1852. Type. "In Indiâ utrâque colitur". Capsicum baccatum hort. Geneve, 1836, Anonymous 1414/6 (lectotype, designated here: G-DC [G00131878]).

Capsicum microphyllum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 421. 1852. Type. [Cuba]: La Havanna, 1828, R. de la Sagra 3 (lectotype, designated by D’Arcy and Eshbaugh 1974, pg. 99: G-DC [G00131975]; isolectotype: MPU [MPU023042]).

Capsicum pendulum Willd. var. minus Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 425. 1852, nom. illeg., not C. pendulum var. minus Fingerh. (1832). Type. Based on Capsicum havanense Kunth.

Capsicum annuum L. var. minus (Fingerh.) Shinners, Baileya 4: 82. 1956. Type. Based on Capsicum frutescens L. var. minus Fingerh.

Capsicum annuum L. var. minimum (Mill.) Heiser, Ci. & Nat. 7: 52. 1964. Type. Based on Capsicum minimum Mill.

Capsicum annuum L. var. aviculare (Dierb.) D’Arcy & Eshbaugh, Phytologia 25(6): 350. 1973. Type. Based on Capsicum indicum Dierb. var. aviculare Dierb.

Capsicum frutescens L. var. glabriusculum (Dunal) M.R.Almeida, Fl. Maharashtra 3B: 356. 2001. Type. Based on Capsicum hispidum Dunal var. glabriusculum Dunal.

Type.

Based on Capsicum hispidum Dunal var. glabriusculum Dunal.

Description.

Perennial low herbs or somewhat prostrate subshrubs, (1-) 1.5-2 (-3) tall, the main stem woody, 0.5-1 cm in diameter at base, much branched from near the base, the branches dichotomously spreading in a typical “zig-zag” appearance above. Young stems angled, fragile, green to greenish-grey or purple-striped, glabrescent to densely pubescent, with appressed-antrorse to spreading, simple, uniseriate, (2-) 3-8 (-12)-celled, eglandular trichomes 0.3-0.9 (-2) mm long, rarely furcate trichomes; nodes solid, green or purple; bark of older stems light brown or brown, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; lenticels absent. Sympodial units difoliate, the leaves geminate; leaf pair subequal in size and shape. Leaves membranous, discolorous, dark green above, light green beneath, glabrescent to densely pubescent on both sides, if glabrescent with an evident tuft of trichomes in the vein axils beneath, the trichomes similar to those of the stems; blades of all leaves 2.5-6 (-8.5) cm long, 1.15-2.5 (-3.4) cm wide, ovate to elliptic, the major veins 4-5 on each side of mid-vein, the base attenuate or truncate and rather unequal, the margins entire, the apex acuminate; petioles (0.5-) 1.5-2.5 (-3) cm, glabrous to moderately pubescent. Inflorescences axillary, 1-2 flowers per axil, more rarely 3 flowers; flowering pedicels 7.5-27.8 mm long, angled, erect, geniculate at anthesis, green, glabrous to moderately pubescent, the eglandular trichomes short, antrorse; pedicels scars inconspicuous. Buds globose, white, cream or greenish-white. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx 1.5-2.5 (-3) mm long, 2-3.8 mm wide, cup-shaped, green, pentagonal in outline, glabrous to moderately pubescent with similar short or long eglandular trichomes as the stems, without appendages or with five minute appendages less than 0.5 mm long. Corolla (5-) 6-8 mm long, 8-10 (-12) mm in diameter, entirely white or almost pale yellow, rarely greenish-white, stellate with narrow interpetalar membrane, lobed ca. halfway or 2/3 of the way to the base, glabrous adaxially and abaxially, the tube (2-) 3-3.5 mm long, the lobes 3-4.5 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, triangular, spreading, the margins slightly involute and finely ciliate, the tips acute to long-cucullate, densely papillate. Stamens five, equal; filaments 1-1.25 mm long, white, cream or purple, sometimes lilac at the apex, inserted on the corolla 1-1.3 mm from the base, with auricles fused to the corolla tube at the point of insertion; anthers 0.95-2.55 mm, broadly ellipsoid or ellipsoid, blue, bluish-grey or purple, very rarely yellow, connivent at anthesis. Gynoecium with ovary 1.2-1.5 (-2.5) mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, green or cream, ovoid or globose; nectary ca. 0.3 mm tall, pale yellow; style homomorphic, 4-4.8 mm, exserted 1.5-2 mm beyond the anthers, cylindrical, white or pale lilac; stigma 0.1-0.2 mm long, ca. 0.3 mm wide, discoid or bilobed, pale bright green or white. Berry 6-8.5 mm in diameter, globose (larger in semi-domesticated specimens, 9-11 mm in diameter) or ellipsoid or ovoid with acute to slightly obtuse apex, 9-13 mm long, 5-6.5 mm in diameter (larger in semi-domesticated specimens, 15-25 mm long, 7-12 mm in diameter), green or green and partly dark purple or purple when immature, bright lemon-yellow, bright red-orange or red at maturity, deciduous, very pungent, the pericarp thick, opaque, with giant cells (endocarp alveolate); stone cells absent; fruiting pedicels 16-28 (-35) mm, erect, rigid, angled, widened distally, green; fruiting calyx 4-4.5 mm in diameter, persistent, not accrescent, discoid or rather cup-shaped, green. Seeds (6-) 8-26 per fruit, 3.2-4 mm long, 2.5-3.2 mm wide, C- or D-shaped, pale yellow to yellow, the seed coat reticulate to obscurely reticulate (SM), cerebelloid (SEM), the cells irregular in shape, the lateral walls strongly sinuate; embryo imbricate.

Distribution.

Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum is the most widely distributed member of the genus, from southern United States of America to northern Bolivia and northern Brazil (Fig. 24 ). It is more common in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and Venezuela. In eastern Australia, it is reported as a weed ( Symon 1981; Purdie et al. 1982).

Ecology.

Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum occupies a wide variety of habitats throughout its wide distribution, including tropical deciduous, semi-deciduous and evergreen forests, less frequently in dry tropical or subtropical forests or in thorny scrub, from sea level to ca. 2,500 m elevation. It is found in shade along roadsides, stream banks, meadows near shores or as a weed in pastures or on the edges of cultivated lands. Indigenous communities and rural people cultivate C. annuum var. glabriusculum for self-consumption and it is often found escaped from cultivation.

Phenology.

Flowering and fruiting all year.

Chromosome number.

2n = 2x = 24 ( Pickersgill 1971, 1977, 1991; Moscone et al. 2007; Scaldaferro et al. 2013).

Common names.

Bahamas: Bird pepper (Long Island, Richey 98-355), Pepper bush (Bimini, Howard & Howard 10055); Boliva: Ají (Pando, Beck et al. 19150); Brazil: Pimenta-de-mesa, Pimenta-peito-de-moça, Pimenta-ova-de-tamuata ( Pereira et al. 2011), Pimenta açaí ( Amapá, Pereira & Severino 1853), Pimenta chumbinho ( Amapá, Pereira et al. 1807), Pimenta de cheiro vermelha ( Amapá, Pereira et al. 1747), Pimenta ova de aruanã ( Amapá, Pereira et al. 1867); Colombia: Ají (Amazonas, Henao & Padd 168; Guainía, Espina et al. 191; Huila, Llanos & Camacho 1827; Valle del Cauca, Cuatrecasas 22800), Ajicito (Valle del Cauca, Cuatrecasas 22800), Ajijito (Valle del Cauca, Lehmann 4730), Cimarrón ( Bolívar, Killip & Smith 14251), Ají chilca ( Guainía, Augusto 4847), Ají chiquito (Norte de Santander, Carvajalino & Díaz 11; Santander, Tochoy & Garzón 675), Ají chirel (Antioquia, Santa María 733), Ají chivato (Meta, García Barriga 5056; Valle del Cauca, Duque Jaramillo 4083-A), Ají guagua ( Bolívar, Espina 577), Ají pajarito (Antioquia, Barkley & Gutiérrez V. 1776; Caldas, Galán & Cárdenas 12; Norte de Santander, Garganta F. s.n.), Ají perfumado (Amazonas, Henao 169), Ají picante ( Bolívar, Killip & Smith 14534; Norte de Santander, Garganta F. 818), Ahipique (Valle del Cauca, Dryander 2178), Ají pimienta ( Bolívar, Romero Castañeda 9255; Santander, Betancur et al. 10158), Ají pique (Cundinamarca, Dumont et al. 43; Nariño, de Benavides 4693, Valle del Cauca, Soukup 1851), Ají piquicho (Huila, Buendía S. 2), Ají del monte ( Atlántico, Bro. Elías 1461), Aji amarillo de culebra (Amazonas, Henao & Z ɨ uec 247), Ají ojo de charapa (Amazonas, Henao & Kuiru 173), Ají ojo de sapo (Amazonas, Henao 170), Chicha e gato (Santander, Tochoy & Garzón 675), Pimiento (Norte de Santander, Carvajalino & Díaz 11); Costa Rica: Chile, Chile congo, Chiltepe ( Bohs 2015); Cuba: Ají guaguao (La Habana, García Cañizares 127; Villa Clara, Luna 356); Dominican Republic: Ají (Altagracia, Zanoni & Mejía 17077 A), Ajicito montecino (Azua, Zanoni et al. 22115; Monte Cristi, Valeur 476; Santiago, Valeur 275); Ecuador: Ají (Napo, Alarcón 102), Veneno de perro (Esmeraldas, Freire & Ruales 2931); El Salvador: Chiltepe ( Ahuachapán, Standley 19872; Sonsonate, Calderón 1658), Chile de zope ( Ahuachapán, Standley 19872; La Unión, Standley 20689), Chile chocolate pequeño (San Salvador, Calderón 1197); Guadeloupe: Piment Moka (Basse-Terre, Duss 3575), Piment grives (Basse-Terre, Duss 3681); Guatemala: Chiltepe, chile chiltepe (Chimaltenango, Porter 1299; Chuiquimula, Kufer 99; Huehuetenango, Steyermark 51277), Chiltep, chile de monte (Huehuetenango, Steyermark 51364), Chile de montaña (Huehuetenango, Steyermark 51277); Honduras: Chilpepe (Atlantida, Standley 54485), Chiltepe ( Morazán, Standley 26254), Chiltepin (Atlantida, Standley 53628), Chile bravo (Atlantida, Standley 53392); Jamaica: Bird pepper (Kingston, Harris 10051; Saint Mary, Yuncker 18460); Leeward Islands: Piment café (Duss 149); Martinica: Piment rond, Piment sauvage (Duss 349); Mexico: Chile (Colima, Eyerdanm & Beetle 8720; Hidalgo, Blanco-Macías 1559; Puebla, Villalobos C. & Guerrero 182; Veracruz, Olivares Hernández 1), Chigundo (Oaxaca, Torres et al. 199), Chilegole (Oaxaca, Salas M. et al. 1851), Chilepepina (Baja California, Carter 4921), Chiletepin (Puebla, Sarukhán et al. 3581), Chilillo (Oaxaca, González Olivares 494), Chilpalla (Veracruz, Martínez C. 1287), Chilpitín (Baja California, León de Luz 2019; Coahuila, Wendt & Riskind 1611), Chiltapin (Chihuahua, Gentry 949 & 1541), Chiltepín (Puebla, Bye et al. 16386; Sonora, Reina G. 1012; Veracruz, Cortés 552), Chiltipen (Chihuahua, Bye Jr. 1875, Sonora, Joyal 1815), Chiltipin (Tamaulipas, Nee 32699; Veracruz, Acosta et al. 39), Chipilin (Chiapas, Calzada et al. 3990), Chirripitín ( Michoacán, Madrigal Sánchez 4875), Pinchitle (Veracruz, Nee 1986), Piquín ( Querétaro, Martínez Torres 57; San Luis Potosí, Edwards 592; Veracruz, Vázquez 611), Quipín ( Querétaro, Martínez Torres 57), Tempenchile (Chiapas, Arcos Vernet 40), Tempinchile (Chiapas, Trujillo Eslava 75), Tepechile (Chiapas, Calzada et al. 9679), Chile bola (Veracruz, Nee 1986), Chile congo (Chiapas, Castillo C. et al. 4136), Chile chichalaco (Guerrero, Guízar Nolazco & Pimentel B. 2884), Chile chiguado (Oaxaca, Nava Zafra et al. 1812), Chile chilpalla (Veracruz, Ibarra Manríquez 3616), Chile Gole (Oaxaca, Vásquez & Ortega 865), Chiltepin grande (Puebla, Villalobos C. & Guerrero 205), Chile maxito (Campeche, Ramírez A. 57), Chile piquín (Chihuahua, Torres C. & Tenorio L. 3751; Veracruz, Nee 1986), Chile de árbol (Veracruz, Ortega T. 88), Chile de bolita (Veracruz, Martínez C. 2011), Chile Amash, chile mashito (Tabasco, Orozco-Segovia 368), Chile amachito (Tabasco, Guadarrama et al. 865), Chile chigol (Oaxaca, Gopar Vásquez 122), Chile garbanzo (Tabasco, Escolastico 165), Chile gordo (Veracruz, Castillo C. et al. 214), Chile machito (Tabasco, Ortega O. 870), Chile Pekin (Veracruz, Calzada 5577), Chili pequin (Sinaloa, Ferris & Mexia 5130), Chile piquín (Campeche, Alvaro M. 397; Nueva León, Cano s.n.; S. L. Potosí, Gómez-Lorence 877; Sinaloa, Vega A. 1297; Tamaulipas, Rodríguez 104; Veracruz, Robles G. 886), Chile silvestre (Campeche, Álvarez 89), Chile de monte (Jalisco, Pérez J. 521; Oaxaca, Gopar Vásquez 122; Yucatán, Ordonez 239), Chilote de monte (Tamaulipas, Martínez Ojeda 263), Jonnihui, tempen-chile (Chiapas, Palacios E. 636), Max, Chile max (Campeche, Álvarez 89; Quintana Roo, Serralta P. 104; Yucatán, Estrada 43), Max-hic (Campeche, Bacab W. 115), Siete Cardo (Chiapas, Matuda 17590), Chilitos de monte (Guerrero, Kruse 1906); Nicaragua: Chile (Carazo, Aranda et al. 94; Managua, Guzmán et al. 396; Masaya, Guzmán et al. 1307), Chile congo (Chontales, Nee 28288; Estelí, Nee 27745; Managua, Araquistain 5; Rivas, Araquistain 278), Chile montero (Managua, Grijalva 706); Peru: Ají (Loreto, Lewis et al. 11196), Ají del monte o charapilla (San Martín, Woytkowski 35161), Ají charapilla (Loreto, de Jong 53), Ají charapita (Ucayali, Graham & Schunke V. 460), Ají del trueno (Cajamarca, Campos & Díaz 2293), Pipi de mono ( Huánuco, Becerra González & Perea 1152); Puerto Rico: Ahi caballero (Adjuntas, Stimson 3922), Ají caballos (Ponce, Britton & Britton 7344); Surinam: Spaanse pepper (Marowijne/Sipaliwini, Rombouts 735), Busi peper (Commewijne, Heilbron & Sanredjo 6); United States of America: Chillipiquin (Florida, Cory 51407), Bird pepper (Florida, Kral 1884), Cayenne Pepper (Florida, Bishop & B. Holst CC0048); Venezuela: Pajarito (Lara, Tamayo 2618), Ají corito ( Mérida, Trujillo 6351), Ají pajarito (Carabobo, Hunziker 9032; Mérida, Pittier 12837), Ají de mono ( Bolívar, Liesner & González 5417), Chirel del Mono ( Bolívar, Knab-Vispo et al. 1288).

Indigenous names.

Colombia: Aati (Curripaco, Guainía, Espina et al. 191), Aiyo borarede jairai (Huitoto-Nɨpode, Amazonas, Henao & Z ɨ ueche 247), Beeakxtú (And, Amazonas, Castro & Andoke 607), Jɨgɨngo uijɨ (Huitoto-Mɨnɨka, Amazonas, Henao 170), Jimorai (Huitoto-Mɨnɨka, Amazonas, Henao & Padd 168), Kupirapa’ajiné (Amazonas, Castro & Matapí 523), Meniño uijɨ (Huitoto-Mɨnɨka, Amazonas, Henao 173), Wainpiraicha (Guajira, Betancur et al. 11258), Ziorai (Huitoto-Mɨnɨka, Amazonas, Henao 169); Ecuador: Bula uchu (Napo, Irvine 773), Giimo (Oncaye, Napo, Davis & Yost 994), Jimiea (Achuar Jívaro, Pastaza, Lewis et al. 14010), Jimia (Shuar, Zamora-Chinchipe, Van den Eynden et al. 700), Sampíajimia (Shuar, Zamora-Chinchipe, Santín et al. 100), Uchu (Quichua, Napo, Alarcón 102), Uchumuyu (Quichua/Spanish, Pastaza, Lewis et al. 14010); Guatemala: Chi-ik (Alto Verapaz, Standley 90936), Tamut ich ( Ch’orti’, Chuiquimula, Kufer 99); Mexico: Guiiña (Zapateco, Oaxaca, Sánchez L. et al. 1190), Skapin (Totonaco, Veracruz, Cortés-Vásquez 552 & 143), Guiiña dxuladi (Zapateco, Oaxaca, Sánchez L. & Trujillo V. 874), Guien guiix (Oaxaca, Ruiz Núñez 7), Guiinya xigundu (Zapateco, Oaxaca, Sánchez L. 317), Kulum its (Huastec, S. Luis Potosí, Alcorn 2369), Max ik (Campeche, Álvarez 89; Yucatán, Ucan et al. 3527 & 3893), Lak’su pin (Tot, Puebla, Villalobos C. & Guerrero 205), Tsakam its (Huastec, S. Luis Potosí, Alcorn 1406; Veracruz, Alcorn 1903), Xmax ik ( Yucatán, Ucan 4617), Aj max iik ( Yucatán, Ucan 5058); Peru: Ají (Quichua, Loreto, Lewis et al. 12906), Cusharu’ nu’ca” (Chayahuita, Loreto, Odonne 561), Imiá (Achual Jívaro, Loreto, Lewis et al. 11196), Nuca (Loreto, Odonne 25), Nu’ca (Loreto, Odonne 626), Uchu (Loreto, Lewis et al. 12552), Yaa Jimia (Amazonas, Salaün 185), Yampit jima (Amazonas, Berlin 2016), Yanco nu’ca” (Chayahuita, Loreto, Odonne 563); Surinam: Lombo riwit (Ja, Commewijne, Heilbron & Sanredjo 6), Lombo kusti 'pepper of god’ (Commewijne, Heilbron & Sanredjo 6).

Uses.

This taxon is used as an ornamental, for food and for medicine. The fruits are harvested by local people and are widely used and much prized throughout its distribution as a hot seasoning; they are also eaten fresh, dry or in vinegar, raw or toasted. Some medicinal properties have been attributed to the leaves and fruits in different countries (see Table 3 ). In some communities, fruits are used against evil spirits in ritual practices of the Day of the Dead (Mexico).

Preliminary conservation assessment.

EOO (37,301,728.615 km2); AOO (4,496 km2). Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum is not under threat for the time being.

Discussion.

Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum , better known as ‘chiltepin’ or ‘chilipequin’ (with some variations of these names) in Mexico and Central America (see common names) or 'bird pepper’ in the United States and the Caribbean, belongs to the Annuum clade ( Carrizo García et al. 2016). It is considered the wild progenitor of the cultivated C. annuum var. annuum from which it can easily be differentiated by its fragile-stemmed somewhat prostate habit, very small flowers, calyx with 0-5 inconspicuous appendages, short filaments and small globose, ellipsoid or ovoid red-orange or red fruits.

In herbaria or in literature, many names have been misapplied to the specimens of this variety, such as C. baccatum , C. frutescens , C. conoides , C. annuum var. conoides , C. annuum var. baccatum , C. frutescens var. baccatum and so on. Based only on the morphology of the fruits, this variety is sometimes confused with wild C. baccatum var. baccatum . While the fruiting calyx of C. annuum var. glabriusculum has 0-5 inconspicuous appendages and the fruits are generally more ovoid with an acute to slightly obtuse apex (rarely truncate), in C. baccatum var. baccatum , the calyx has five appendages up to 2 mm in length and the fruits are generally more globose or subglobose to ellipsoid with a truncate or flattened apex (very rarely acute to slightly obtuse). In addition to the differences in the fruits, C. annuum var. glabriusculum has solitary or paired flowers (rarely three flowers), stellate corollas that are entirely white to greenish-white without spots within and connivent blue, bluish-grey or purple anthers at anthesis (Fig. 23C-F ), whereas C. baccatum var. baccatum has usually 2-3 flowers (rarely one), white rotate or rotate-stellate corollas with greenish-yellow spots within and not connivent, usually white or pale yellow anthers at anthesis (Fig. 26D-F ).

Kunth (1818) did not cite a specific specimen from Cuba in the protologue of C. havanense . At P, we found a sheet labelled C. havanense with the number ‘4518’ (P00670653) in the Herbarium of Humboldt and Bonpland; this sheet is selected as the lectotype.

Dierbach (1829) based Capsicum indicum var. aviculare on C. minimum Mill. and C. microcarpum DC. Capsicum minimum applies to the wild specimens of C. annuum while C. microcarpon refers to the wild C. baccatum form which is, in fact, very similar to the wild C. annuum in the fruiting stage. D’Arcy and Eshbaugh (1973) proposed C. annuum var. aviculare , based on C. indicum var. aviculare , a name that was frequently used in literature to refer to the widespread spontaneous variety of C. annuum . In the interest of fixing the application of the basionym, we are designating a neotype using the modern collection E.L. Tyson 5222 (MO-562584, acc. # 1980106) that D’Arcy used to illustrate this taxon (figure 4 in D’Arcy 1973) which shows its diagnostic characters.

Fingerhuth (1832) gave a very brief description for C. frutescens var. minus ("fructu ovato obtuso minori") and based this name on an illustration in the pre-Linnean Rumphius’ Herbarium Amboinense (1747: Tab. 88, fig. 2, as Capsicum rubrum minimum ). This figure is of a complete flowering and fruiting branch that unequivocally matches with our concept of C. annuum var. glabriusculum . As no collections were cited and no specimens with internal evidence of being part of the original material were found, Tab. 88, fig. 2 of Rumphius’ work is selected as the lectotype.

In describing C. chlorocarpum , Dunal (1852) cited in the protologue "Berland. n. 97, in h. DC. et Boiss". We did not find the duplicate that Dunal saw in the "h. Boiss" (now part of the general herbarium at G). Therefore, we select here the duplicate at G-DC (G00131884) as the lectotype.

Capsicum laurifolium was described, based on two different specimens in G-DC, both mounted on the same sheet. The right hand specimen (Anonymous 67, G00131902) comes from the Island of Guadeloupe in the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. The left hand specimen is that of Blanchet from Bahia (Brazil). Of these two collections, we have selected the most complete specimen that most closely matches the data in the protologue (Blanchet 3098 A) as the lectotype (G00131882).

Dunal (1852) based the description of C. hispidum on three specimens of Berlandier 152 today housed at G. The one in G-DC (G00131880) is the best-preserved and is here selected as the lectotype.

Dunal (1852) described C. angustifolium , based on specimens from plants cultivated in the Botanic Gardens in Geneva ("hort. Geneve 1836"). We have selected as the lectotype a sheet in G-DC (G00131878) with the same data as the protologue (" Capsicum baccatum hort. Geneve, 1836") and a handwritten label with " Capsicum angustifolium Dun., janvier 1845" in Dunal’s hand.

Barboza’s (2011) lectotypification for C. microphyllum using the collection Berlandier 1907 from “Béjar” (Texas, United States of America) must be set aside, since D’Arcy and Eshbaugh (1974) explicitly lectotypified this name earlier with the collection of Sagra from Cuba at G-DC.

Specimens examined.

See Suppl. material 4: Appendix 4.

Figures

Figure 22. Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum A reproductive branch B eglandular trichome of the leaf C flower D section of the calyx showing the venation E opened corolla F gynoecium G fruit H anatomical detail of the pericarp (note the giant cell in the mesocarp) I seed J seed, in cross section K structure of seed coat at the seed margin L structure of seed coat at the seed body M embryo. A-H from Singleton 195 I-M from Scolnik 19 An 329. Drawn by L. Ochoa. Published in Hunziker (2001), reproduced with permission.

Figure 23. Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum A apex of a reproductive branch B flower bud on geniculate pedicel C-F flowers in anthesis showing variations in corolla, stamens and style colouration G immature fruit H mature and immature fruits A, B, D, F from Barboza et al. 5049, photos by G. E. Barboza C, E, H Carrizo Garcia 102, photos by C. Carrizo Garcia G Leiva Gonzalez et al. 2105, photo by S. Leiva Gonzalez.

Figure 24. Distribution of C. annuum var. glabriusculum.

Figure 26. Capsicum baccatum var. baccatum A plant B flower bud C purple flower bud D, E, F flowers at anthesis, different views G young fruiting branch showing ovary with long and short styles H immature fruits I mature fruit A, C from Barboza 4913 B, D-F, H from Barboza 5038 G from Barboza 2431 bis, I from Barboza et al. 3419. Photos by G. E. Barboza.