Capsicum pubescens
Capsicum pubescens, commonly known as the Rocoto pepper, is a unique perennial plant native to the Andes. Distinguished by its hairy leaves and dark seeds, it offers a profound heat profile. Beyond culinary uses, it holds significant medicinal value, containing potent antioxidants and compounds that support digestive and immune health.
- Scientific name: Capsicum pubescens
- Family: Solanaceae
- Native range: Asia-Tropical
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Solanales and family Solanaceae, it is classified under the genus Capsicum.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Solanales | WCVP |
| Family | Solanaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Capsicum | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Capsicum pubescens, is referred to by various regional names across different languages. In English, it is often called Ruqutu (qu), while in French, it is known as piment rocoto (fr). In Finnish, it is identified as rokotopaprika (fi), and in Hungarian, it is called szőrös paprika (hu). Finally, in Ukrainian, the plant is commonly known as рокото (uk).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| qu | Ruqutu | Wikidata |
| fr | piment rocoto | Wikidata |
| fi | rokotopaprika | Wikidata |
| hu | szőrös paprika | Wikidata |
| uk | рокото | Wikidata |
| ja | ロコト | Wikidata |
| ar | فليفلة وبرية | Wikidata |
| sv | rokotopeppar | Wikidata |
| nb | rocotopepper | Wikidata |
| cs | paprika chlupatá | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a widespread geographical distribution spanning across several distinct tropical regions. In the Malesia region, it can be found specifically within Jawa. Its presence extends into Mexico, where it inhabits both the Mexico Gulf and the Mexico Southwest areas. Furthermore, the species is documented throughout parts of Central America. Specifically, its range includes the countries of Costa Rica and Guatemala.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malesia | Jawa | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Gulf | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Southwest | WCVP |
| Central America | Costa Rica | WCVP |
| Central America | Guatemala | WCVP |
| Central America | Honduras | WCVP |
| Northern South America | Venezuela | WCVP |
| Western South America | Bolivia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Colombia | WCVP |
| Western South America | Ecuador | WCVP |
Chemicals
Capsicum pubescens has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin.
- Total chemicals
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| capsaicin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dihydrocapsaicin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| nordihydrocapsaicin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |