Re: [CH] Lemon Drop Question

Love2Troll (Love2Troll@kc.rr.com)
Thu, 7 Aug 2003 16:16:22 -0500 

Brent Thompson writes:  "1) As already mentioned in another reply, fatalli is C. chinense while Aji Limon is C. baccatum var. pendulum, and, among the twenty or so species in
genus Capsicum, these two are not especially closely related."

Although I am aware of Aji Limon being called both C. baccatum var pendulum & C. chinense, I don't recall ever seeing pictures of the Aji Limon C. baccatum var. pendulum blossom.  Does anyone know where one is?  Pictures of the pod and calyx would be nice too.  And the # of blossoms per node.

My Aji Limon appears to be C. chinense: 

Large:  http://www.fototime.com/40F500D0748292E/orig.jpg
Small:  http://www.fototime.com/66244DC8027E7AC/orig.jpg

JohnT





----- Original Message ----- 
From: Brent Thompson 
To: T. Matthew Evans 
Cc: chile-heads@hplbct.hpl.hp.com 
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: [CH] Lemon Drop Question


> I had a couple of questions, though -- first, I have fatallis from the
> USDA that look almost identical to your Aji Limon.  Are the two close
> cousins?  Is it possible that my seed isn't "true"?

1) As already mentioned in another reply, fatalli is C. chinense while Aji
Limon is C. baccatum var. pendulum, and, among the twenty or so species in
genus Capsicum, these two are not especially closely related.  (C. annuum,
C. chinense, and C. frutescens are very closely related, though, and C.
baccatum and C. praetermissum are a very closely related pair).

2) Unfortunately, in the past, at least, there has been a very high
percentage (like maybe 10% or even higher?) of mislabelled and/or crossed
Capsicum seeds coming from USDA, so it is entirely possible your USDA
"fatalli" really are "Aji Limon" (or more likely a random C. baccatum
cross).

[Unlikely that USDA caused those errors, though; they contract out
replication of their Capsicum collection and it would seem that at least
one of those subcontractors, at some point in the past if not still
continuing to present, screwed up a lot of the USDA collection.]

Fortunately, it is trivial to determine whether any particular chile plant
is a baccatum or a chinense.  It's been a few years since I posted the key,
and there are lots of new people on the list now, so here it is again.

 ---   Brent

#################################
Keys for Field Identification of the Five Domesticated Species of Capsicum
(Appendix II, page 2, Genetic Resources of Capsicum, International
Board for Plant Genetic Resources, 1983
[Crop Genetic Resources Centre, Plant Production and Protection
Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations])

Key to the Domesticated Species of Capsicum


1. Seeds dark, corolla purple ................................... C. pubescens
 
1. Seeds straw-colored, corolla white or greenish-white .........      2
     (rarely purple)

   2. Corolla with diffuse yellow spots at bases of lobes ....... C. baccatum

   2. Corolla without diffuse yellow spots at bases of lobes ....      3

      3. Corolla purple .........................................      4

         4. Flowers solitary .................................... C. annuum

         4. Flowers 2-more at each node ......................... C. chinense

      3. Corolla white or greenish-white ........................      5

         5. Calyx of mature fruit with annular constriction at
            junction with pedicel ............................... C. chinense

         5. Calyx of mature fruit without annular constriction at
            junction with pedicel ...............................      6

            6. Flowers solitary .................................      7

               7. Corolla milky white, lobes usually straight,
                  pedicels often declining at anthesis .......... C. annuum

               7. Corolla greenish white, lobes usually slightly
                  revolute, pedicels erect at anthesis .......... C. frutescens

            6. Flowers 2-more at each node ......................      8

               8. Corolla milky white ........................... C. annuum

               8. Corolla greenish white ........................      9

                  9. Pedicels erect at anthesis, corolla lobes 
                     usually slightly revolute .................. C. frutescens

                  9. Pedicels declining at anthesis, corolla lobes 
                     straight ................................... C. chinense