Common names:

• bonnet pepper  (Source: Cornucopia) - English
• datil pepper  (Source: Food Feed Crops US) - English
• habanero pepper  (Source: Cornucopia) - English
• piri-piri pepper  (Source: Food Feed Crops US) - English
• squash pepper  (Source: Cornucopia) - English
• yellow squash pepper  (Source: Food Feed Crops US) - English
• pimenta-de-cheiro  (Source: Genet Molec Res) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• rocotillo  (Source: Food Feed Crops US) - Spanish
• aji limo  (Source: Scient Hort) - Spanish (Peru)
• aji panca  (Source: Scient Hort) - Spanish (Peru)
• havannapeppar  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Food additives: flavoring (fide Ency CNatIn)
• Gene sources: disease resistance for capsicum pepper (fide Euphytica 96:131. 1997)
• Gene sources: primary genetic relative of habanero pepper (fide Euphytica 96:129-133. 1997)
• Gene sources: secondary genetic relative of aji (based on partial fertile hybrids with Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum fide Crop Breed Appl Biot 9:42-43. 2009)
• Gene sources: secondary genetic relative of bell/chili pepper (based on partial fertile hybrids with Capsicum annuum fide Crop Breed Appl Biot 9:42-43. 2009)
• Gene sources: secondary genetic relative of Tabasco pepper (based on successful hybridization of Capsicum chinense × C. frutescens, but not in reciprocal crossing fide Crop Breed Appl Biot 11:246. 2011)
• Gene sources: tertiary genetic relative of rocoto (based on records of sterile hybrids derived from crosses with members of the Capsicum pubescens group fide Int J Pl Sci 162:1411. 2001)
• Medicines: folklore (fide Herbs Commerce ed2)

Distributional Range:

Cultivated




Southern America

• WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia (s.)


Other




Southern America

• BRAZIL: Brazil [Amazonas (possible wild populations)]

References:

1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
2. Bernal, R., S. R. Gradstein & M. Celis Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. 2015 (L Colombia online)
3. Costa Vilagelim, L. et al. 2009. Cross compatibility of domesticated hot pepper and cultivated sweet pepper Crop Breed. Appl. Biotechnol. 9:37-44.
4. Facciola, S. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants. 1990 (Cornucopia)
5. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2. 1996 (Ency CNatIn)
6. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. 1998 (Food Feed Crops US)
7. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000 (Herbs Commerce ed2)
8. Moscone, E. A. et al. 2007. The evolution of chili peppers (Capsicum - Solanaceae): a cytogenetic perspective Acta Hort. 745:137-170.
9. Moses, M. et al. 2014. Microsatellite based analysis of the genetic structure and diversity of Capsicum chinense in the Neotropics Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 61:741-755.
10. Ortiz, R. et al. 2010. Classifying vegetable genetic resource - A case stusy with domesticated Capsicum spp. Sci. Hort. 126:186-191.
11. Pickersgill, B. 1997. Genetic resources and breeding of Capsicum spp. (Euphytica) 96:129-133.
12. Sudré, C. P. et al. 2010. Genetic variability in domesticated Capsicum spp. as assessed by morphological and agronomic data in mixed statistical analysis Genet. Molec. Res. 9:283-294.
13. Walsh, B. M. & S. B. Hoot 2001. Phylogenetic relationships of Capsicum (Solanaceae) using DNA sequences from two noncoding regions: The chloroplast atpB-rbcL spacer region and nuclear waxy introns Int. J. Pl. Sci. 162:1409-1418.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=8910. Accessed 7 junio 2026.