Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae (nightshades), native to the northern regions of South America and to southwestern North America. The plant produces berries of many colors including red, green, and yellow, often with pungent taste. It is one of the oldest cultivated crops, with domestication dating back to around 6,000 years ago in regions of Mexico. The genus Capsicum has over 30 species but Capsicum annuum is the primary species in its genus, as it has been widely cultivated for human consumption for a substantial amount of time and has spread across the world. This species has many uses in culinary, medicine, self-defense, and ornamental applications.

Name

The genus name Capsicum derives from a Greek-based derivative of the Latin word capto, meaning 'to grasp, to seize', in reference to the heat or pungency of the species' fruit, although it has also been speculated to derive from the Latin word capsa, 'box', referring to the shape of the fruit in forms of the typical species. Although the species name annuum means 'annual' (from the Latin annus, 'year'), the plant is not an annual but is frost tender. In the absence of winter frosts it can survive several seasons and grow into a large, shrubby perennial herb.

Common names including the word pepper stem from a misconception on the part of Europeans taking part in the Columbian exchange. They mistakenly thought the spicy fruits were a variety of the black pepper plant, which also has spicy fruit. However, these two plants are not closely related. Commonly used names for the fruit of Capsicum annuum in English vary by location and cultivar. The larger, sweeter cultivars are called "capsicum" in Australia and New Zealand. In Great Britain and Ireland, cultivars of the plant are typically discussed in groups of either "sweet" or "hot/chilli" peppers, only rarely providing the specific cultivar. In Canada and the United States it is commonplace to provide the cultivar in most instances, for example "bell", "jalapeño", "cayenne", or "bird's eye" peppers, to convey differences in taste including sweetness or pungency.