Name
Family Name | |
Genus Epithet | |
Species Epithet | |
Infraspecific Epithet | |
Common Names | |
Comments |
Classifications and Characteristics
Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
Plant Growth Form | Shrub |
Lifespan (in Singapore) | Annual |
Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
Maximum Height | 0.3 m to 1.2 m |
Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 0.2 m to 0.4 m |
Biogeography
Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical, Sub-Tropical / Monsoonal |
Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Horticultural / Cultivated Only) |
Description and Ethnobotany
Growth Form | Annual herb up to 0.3 m tall. |
Foliage | Green, smooth leaves are elliptic (3 cm long, 1.5 cm wide). |
Flowers | White, star-shaped flowers are about 1 cm wide and occur singly in the leaf axil (the junction between the leaf petiole and stem). Each flower contains about 5 stamens (male flower part) which bear black, oval anthers (pollen-bearing part). A yellow stigma (female flower part) is about the same length as the stamens and is positioned in the middle of them. |
Fruits | Glossy, red peppers are narrow and twisted, tapering to a thin, curled tip (9.5 cm long, 1 cm wide). The surface is wrinkled and hairless. |
Cultivation | Seeds may take 7 to 10 days to germinate. Depending on the varieties, the plant may take 100 to 120 days to mature. |
Etymology | Cayenne peppers are named after the city of Cayenne which is located in French Guiana, South America. |
Ethnobotanical Uses | Edible Plant Parts (Edible Fruits) Food (Herb and Spice) |
Landscaping Features
Plant & Rootzone Preference - Tolerance | Moist Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Fertile Loamy Soils |
Landscape Uses | Container Planting |
Thematic Landscaping | Economic Garden |
Plant Care and Propagation
Light Preference | Full Sun |
Water Preference | Moderate Water |
Foliar
Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Smooth, Crinkled / Twisted |
Foliar Type | Simple / Unifoliate |
Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Elliptical) |
Foliar Venation | Pinnate / Net |
Foliar Margin | Entire - Wavy / Undulate |
Foliar Apex - Tip | Acute |
Foliar Base | Cuneate |
Floral (Angiosperm)
Flower & Plant Sexuality 1 | Bisexual Flowers |
Flower Colour(s) | White |
Flower Grouping | Solitary |
Flower Location | Axillary |
Flower Symmetry | Radial |
Individual Flower Shape | Stellate / Star-shaped |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
Mature Fruit Colour(s) - Angiosperms and Gymnosperms | Red |
Mature Fruit Texture(s) | Glossy / Shiny, Wrinkled |
Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
Fruit Type 1 | Fleshy Fruit |
Fruit Type 2 | Non-Accessory Fruit |
Mature Seed Colour(s) | Cream / Off-White |
Image Repository
Images |
Others
Master ID | 32116 |
Species ID | 6522 |
Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |