Capsicum eximium

Capsicum eximium Hunz.

Capsicum eximium is a species of the genus Capsicum in the Solanaceae family, native to the Andean region of South America. It is part of the Purple corolla clade and the Pubescens complex, a group of closely related Capsicum species. The species is characterized by its variable corolla color, including white, cream, and purple, and polymorphic fruit pungency. It is found in Argentina Northwest and Bolivia, with populations showing inter- and intrapopulation variability in corolla color. The plant is an erect shrub or subshrub, up to 4 m tall, with zig-zag branches and distinctive leaf and stem morphology.

Description

Capsicum eximium is an erect shrub or subshrub, 0.5 to 4 m tall, with a thick main stem and zig-zag, fragile branches. Young stems are strongly angled, green, and pubescent with antrorse, flexuous, simple trichomes and sparse glandular trichomes. Older stems have greyish-white, brown, or dark green, fissured bark. Leaves are membranous, with major leaves 3.4 to 12.5 cm long and 2.1 to 6 cm wide, ovate or elliptic, with 4–5 major veins on each side of the mid-vein. Minor leaves are smaller, with 3–4 major veins. The species is part of the Purple corolla clade and exhibits high variability in corolla color, including white, cream, and purple. Corolla color variation is associated with geographic distribution, with white corollas in the northern range and purple in southern Bolivia. Fruit pungency is polymorphic. It is a self-compatible, pungent species and is closely related to C. pubescens, C. cardenasii, and C. tovarii, with natural hybrids observed.