Capsicum pubescens
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| Capsicum pubescens | |
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| Species: | C. pubescens
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| Binomial name | |
| Capsicum pubescens | |
| Capsicum pubescens | |
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| Heat | Very Hot (SR: 50,000-250,000) |
Capsicum pubescens is a species of the genus Capsicum (pepper), which is found primarily in Central and South America. The name component pubescens means hairy, which refers to the hairy leaves of this pepper. The plants, but especially the fruits, are often referred to as Rocoto (Quechua: ruqutu) and Locoto (Aymara: luqutu).[1]As they reach a relatively advanced age and the lignified root quickly, and sometimes the name is familiar tree Chili. Of all the domesticated species of peppers this is the least widespread and systematically furthest away from all others. A very notable feature of this species is its ability to withstand cooler temperatures than other pepper plants.
Description
Vegetative Characteristics
Like all other species of the genus Capsicum and the plants of the species Capsicum pubescens grow as a shrub, sometimes there are climbing plants. The up to four meters woody plants relatively quickly and be aged up to 15 years, which gives them, especially in an age almost tree-like appearance. After a first impulse is formed, the branches at a height of about 30 cm for the first time, and forms during growth by further dividing a bushy appearance. Later drive even more shoots from the leaf axils. Some varieties have purple discoloration on the branches, as can be observed in other Capsicum species. The leaves have a 5-12 mm long petiole and a leaf blade ovate to 5-12 cm long, 2.5 to 4 cm wide, tapering at the top and the base is wedge-shaped.
Besides the peppers in comparison to other relatively high age, Capsicum pubescens differs in many other characteristics very different from related species. Most striking is the eponymous coat, which is on leaves, stems, and partly to find on the sepals of the flowers.
Flowers
The flowers appear singly or in pairs (rarely up to four) in the shoots and the branches are at about 1 cm long flower stems, which extend on the fruit to around 4-5 cm. The cup is filled with five triangular pointed teeth, which have in the fruit of a length of about 1 mm. Distinct characteristic to other cultivated species of the genus Capsicum are the blue-violet-colored petals, used for the center part brighter. Although just as impressive in other ways - such as Capsicum annuum - isolated from varieties with purple flowers, but often only the edges of the petals colored. Sometimes the crown leaves are hood-shaped, the intertwined portions of the crown leaves are folded clear. The anthers are stained purple.
System
Within the genus Capsicum, the species belongs to the group with a chromosome number of 2n = 24 Investigations of the karyotype place the kind of close to eximium Capsicum, Capsicum and Capsicum cardenasii tovarii. These species are similar by partial to full purple-violet flowers and brown to black kidney-shaped or irregularly shaped seeds. With the exception of the large and variable in color fruits of Capsicum pubescens have all kinds of small, colored red, spherical fruit. The close relationship of the species was shown by cardenasii successful crossing of the species Capsicum pubescens, Capsicum and Capsicum eximium. The resulting hybrids produced fertile offspring each. None of the three species could be successfully crossed with tovarii Capsicum. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA, however, showed a close relationship between Capsicum pubescens Capsicum and tovarii, whereas eximium Capsicum and Capsicum were cardenasii further calling of Capsicum pubescens.[2]
In investigations of the average fruit size in different traditional areas presented Eshbaugh notes that the fruits of plants outside Bolivia are larger on average, perhaps due to Bolivia´s generally higher altitudes. Within Peru, however, variation is notable in the larger Rocoto de Monte, (used for example in Rocoto Relleno) coming from lower altitudes of the central jungle such as Oxapampa in the Department of Pasco, contrasted with the Rocoto Serrano, which is grown at higher altitudes throuought the entire Peruvian Andes.[3] and is similar in size to Bolivian examples. It follows the assumption that the Bolivian Capsicum pubescens, both biologically and geographically closer to the original Capsicum pubescens lie elsewhere than domesticated plants of Art. The precise origin can not be determined with certainty. Although no wild form has been found and there are only semi-wild or cultivated plants, it is assumed that Capsicum pubescens is a separate species. Through the long domestication by human selection and thus were the fruits of the plants over time is larger, the wild form is true even be extinct.
The species is an example of the so-called founder effect: the low geographical distribution and lack of overlap with the distribution areas of other Capsicum species is the population gene pool due to an incompletely represented. For this reason, the variability within the species was very low, so that significantly less than other varieties were domesticated peppers.
Pictures
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A Manzano pepper plant with ripe pods -
Rocoto flower bud with lots of trichomes, characteristic that gives this species its name -
Typical flower of a Rocoto: purple corolla with white spots in the center -
A bag of frozen rocoto for sale at a California market, 2009
References
Bibliography
- Charles M. Rick: Capsicum pubescens, a little-known purgent pepper from Latin America. In: Missouri Botanical Garden Bulletin, Band 36, 1950. S. 36-42.
- Michael Nee: Capsicum pubescens. In: Flora de Veracruz, Fasciculo 49, 1986. S. 28-30. ISBN 84-89600-04-X
- W. H. Eshbaugh: Biosystematic and evolutionary study of the Capsicum pubescens complex. In: Research reports. 1970 Projects. National Geographic Society, Washington DC 1979, S. 143-162. ISSN 0077-4626
- Hugh Popenoe u. a.: Lost Crops of the Incas, Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. National Academy Press, Washington DC 1989. ISBN 0-309-04264-X (Online)
Notes
- ^ Dr. Sergio Zapata Acha, Editor.: Diccionario de Gastronomia Peruana Tradicional. Univesidad de San Martin de Pores, Lima, Peru ISBN 9972-54-155-x.
- ^ Eduardo A. Moscone et al.: The Evolution of Chili Peppers (Capsicum - Solanaceae): A cytogenic Perspective. In: D.M. Spooner et al. (Hrsg.): Solanaceae VI: Genomics Meets Biodiversity, ISHS Acta Horticulturae 745, Juni 2007. ISBN 978-90-6605-427-1. Seiten 137-169.
- ^ Mariano Valderrama & Roberto Ugas, for APEGA, UNALM, INIA, USMP.: "Ajies Peruanos, sazon para el mundo", 2009 ISBN 978-612-45583-0-6>
External links
- An informative site generally dedicated to rocoto peppers
- A photograph-laden site (largely in German, with significant English translation) dedicated to Capsicum varietals, including rocoto.
- A small Peru-based guide to capsicum
- An Annotated Guide to Peruvian Restaurants
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