Capsicum lanceolatum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capsicum lanceolatum
Capsicum lanceolatum
Scientific classification
Genus:	Capsicum
Species:	lanceolatum
Synonyms
Brachistus lanceolatus

Capsicum lanceolatum is a type of plant. It belongs to the pepper family, also known as the nightshade family (Solanaceae). This plant originally grew in Guatemala and nearby countries like Mexico and Honduras. Today, we only know of one place where it still grows naturally. Other places were turned into farms.

What the Plant Looks Like

Plant Features

Capsicum lanceolatum is a bushy plant. It usually grows straight up and can be 1 to 5 meters (about 3 to 16 feet) tall. It is special because of its leaves. The leaves usually grow in pairs. Both leaves point in the same direction. But they are very different in size and shape.

Some leaves are long and thin. They can be 6 to 11 cm (2 to 4 inches) long. They are 1.5 to 3 mm wide. Other leaves are small and almost round. They are about 0.5 to 2 cm long and 0.8 to 1.5 cm wide. Both types of leaves have a few hairs on them.

Flowers

This plant blooms from May to December. The flowers grow alone, or sometimes in pairs. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. Each flower has a thin stalk that is 1.5 to 3 cm long. This stalk grows to 3 to 5 cm when the fruit ripens.

The calyx (the green part that holds the petals) has strong ribs. It is 1.3 to 2 mm long when the flower blooms. It gets a little longer as the fruit grows. The edges of the calyx have teeth-like parts. These are 2 to 5 mm long. They grow to 4 to 5.5 mm when the fruit is ripe.

The petals of the flower are yellowish-white. Sometimes they are white and red-purple. They are joined together for more than half their length. The tips of the petals are slightly hairy. The stamens (male parts) are about 2.5 mm long. The anthers (where pollen is made) are 1.3 to 1.5 mm long. The style (female part) is 4.5 to 5 mm long.

Fruits and Seeds

Like most wild pepper plants, Capsicum lanceolatum has very small fruits. They are round berries. They are orange-red and 7 to 10 mm (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. These berries are full of flesh and are not spicy. The seeds inside are whitish or black. They are 2 to 2.5 mm in size. This plant can fertilize itself.

Other Special Features

C. lanceolatum has 13 pairs of chromosomes. Many other wild pepper species from Brazil also have this. Plants with 13 chromosome pairs often like damp places. They usually have yellowish-green, small fruits that are not spicy. C. lanceolatum is special because its fruits are orange-red. This helps tell it apart from other similar plants.

Where It Grows

C. lanceolatum grows in the mountain rainforests and cloud forests of Guatemala. It is found at high places, from 1200 to 1800 meters (about 3,900 to 5,900 feet) high. These places are often damp and misty.

This plant is one of the northernmost species in its group. Most other species with 13 chromosome pairs are found in southeastern Brazil. Scientist Paul C. Standley wrote the best description of C. lanceolatum in 1938–39. He also noted where he found these plants. Plant samples from his trip are now at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

In 1991, Paul W. Bosland led another trip to Guatemala. He wanted to find living plants for study. Sadly, all the places Standley described had been changed. They were turned into farms or covered by new forests. No new C. lanceolatum plants were found there.

However, a new place was discovered! Plants like C. lanceolatum were found in the Biotopo el Quetzal. This is a special place that protects the quetzal bird. The plants found here were a bit different from Standley's description. For example, Standley said the flowers were white, but Bosland found red flowers. Standley said the seeds were white, but the new plants had black seeds. But most other features matched the earlier descriptions.

Bosland thinks that C. lanceolatum might spread with the help of the quetzal bird. Both the plant and the bird live in similar places. This plant also doesn't grow back in forests that have been replanted. This suggests it needs the quetzal bird to help it spread its seeds.

It is very important to protect the natural homes of wild pepper species. These wild plants might have special genes. These genes could help farmed peppers fight diseases. They could also help them grow in tough weather conditions.

How It Is Related to Other Peppers

Scientists like Paul W. Bosland studied Capsicum lanceolatum. They looked at its chromosomes and how it mixes with other pepper species. They found that Capsicum lanceolatum has 13 pairs of chromosomes. Most other pepper species have 12 pairs.

It seems that plants with 12 and 13 chromosome pairs cannot easily mix. When scientists tried to cross C. lanceolatum with other peppers, it usually didn't work. This means C. lanceolatum is likely not closely related to the main groups of peppers we know. These groups include Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, and Capsicum pubescens.

New studies show that many wild Brazilian peppers have 13 chromosome pairs. This changed what scientists thought about how peppers evolved. It was once thought that the 13th chromosome pair was new. But now, it seems that 13 pairs might be the original number. Perhaps one pair was lost as peppers spread north. This change might have led to peppers with 12 pairs of chromosomes. These peppers often have red, very spicy fruits.

What Its Name Means

The scientific name lanceolatum comes from the shape of its leaves. They are shaped like a lance. The Mayan people, who live where it grows, call the plant "IC." This word is said with a special click sound. People also call it "Yerba de pajarito" (little birdweed) and "Pajarito del rio" (little bird of the river).

See also

In Spanish: Capsicum lanceolatum para niños