apple chile

Capsicum pubescens is an erect or scandent shrub, 1–4 m tall, with a zig-zag branching pattern and a main stem up to 3 cm in diameter. Young stems are green or purple-spotted, with a soft white pubescence of long, uniseriate trichomes. Leaves are membranous, ovate, and often unequal in size, with a rugose texture on young leaves. The species produces large, rotate or rotate-stellate flowers, typically deep purple, and has heteromorphic styles with three distinct lengths. The seeds are large, brownish-black to black, measuring 5.5–7 mm in length. The plant is distributed across South and Central America and has been domesticated for over 4,000 years. Its distinguishing features include dense pubescence, purple corollas, and black seeds, with minor variations among cultivars.