Banana Pepper (Capsicum)

This fine-looking banana pepper (Capsicum) is one of the few vegetables surviving the wicked weather of Aug.-Sept. 2008. With more tropical storms in the general vicinity I wonder how long this specimen will hang on. While I cannot identify the exact species, I can say that Capsicum is a genus of plants from the nightshade family (Solanaceae), native to Mexico, and now cultivated worldwide. Some of the members of Capsicum are used as spices, vegetables, and medicines.

The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. They are commonly called chili pepper, red or green pepper, or just pepper in Britain and the USA. The original Mexican term, chilli (now chile in Spanish) came from the Nahuatl word chilli or xilli, referring to a huge Capsicum variety cultivated at least since 3000 BC, according to remains found in pottery from Puebla and Oxaca.

Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. The Mexican state of Puebla is located in the center of the country, to the east of Mexico City. Catedral de Santo Domingo The Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca or simply Oaxaca is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located in the southern part of Mexico, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

I could go on. . . the original seed for this plant was given to me by my brother who referred to it simply as a "Banana Pepper." It did look like bananas last week. . .this week the fruit are obviously turning orange and red.