Capsicum chacoense

A. T. Hunz

Chaco pepper

Solanaceae Edible: Fruit - spice Potential hazards — see below 103 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Capsicum chacoense is a species of the genus Capsicum native to South America. While it is rarely cultivated by humans, it, like domesticated Capsicum species, produces edible fruit.

Description

A herb. It grows 40-100 cm high. The leaves are narrowly oval and 2-6 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The fruit are red.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

Fruit - cooked. The hot, pungent fruits are used as a condiment. The fruit grows to be around 3cm in length when fully ripe, and is bright red in colour, with a roundish/triangular shape.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are pungent and used as a spice. They can be used fresh or dried.

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Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant.

Distribution

A subtropical plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, South America,

Cultivation

A plant of low to moderate elevations in the subtropics and tropics. Plants tend to crop heavily each season and in warm areas can easily keep producing for four or five years.

Propagation

Seed - sow in a seedbed or in containers. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c. Plant out into permanent positions when about 8 - 10cm tall.

Other Information

It is enjoyed as a seasoning.

Notes

There are 10 Capsicum species.

Also Known As

Aji del monte, Aribibi, Ateshyuk, Awaranink i'i, Jnopita, Natekhet, Nurunja, Pahana, Quitoucho

References (15)

Arenas, P. and Scarpa, G. F., 2006, Edible wild plants of the Chorote Indians, Gran Chaco, Argentina. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. Vol. 153 (1): pp 73-85
Carretero, A. L., 2005, Useful Plants and traditional knowledge in the Tucumano-Boliviano Forest. M. Sc. Thesis Institute of Biological Science University of Aarhus, Denmark p 55
Darwiniana 9:228, fig. 2. 1950
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 232
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 180

Show all 15 references

Montani, M. C. & Scarpa, G. F., 2016, Recursos vegetales y prácticas alimentarias entre indígenas tapiete del noreste de la provincia de Salta, Argentina. Darwiniana, nueva serie vol.4 no.1 San Isidro jul. 2016
Palmieri, V. S., et al, 2018, Aproximaciones etnobotánicas de las especies y prácticas de frutos nativos comestibles de la Actualidad. Aportes para la interpretación del pasado prehispánico de cerro colorado (Córdoba, Argentina). Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 53 (1): 115-133
Palmeiri, V. S., & Geisa, M. G., 2019, Las plantas comestibles empleadas por las comunidades comechingonas de San Marcos Sierras (Córdoba, Argentina). Primeras aproximaciones. Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 54: 295-309.
Palmieri, V. S., et al, 2022, Wild edible plants of the Central Mountains in Argentina. Comparing subregions to understand the complexity of local botanical knowledge. Rodriguésia 73: e01092021. 2022
Polini, G., et al, Useful and edible plants of Paraguay Region of Chaco. p 124
Samuels, J., 2015, Biodiversity of Food Species of the Solonaceae Family: A Preliminary Taxonomic Inventory of Subfamily Solanoideae. Resources 2015, 4. 277-322
Scarpa, G. F., 2009, Wild food plants used by the indigenous peoples of South American Gran Chaco: A general synopsis and intercultural comparison. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality 83:90-101
Schmedia-Hirschmann, G., 1994, Plants resources Used by the Ayoreo of the Paraguayan Chaco. Economic Botany Vol. 48. No. 3. pp. 252-258
Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 141
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew