C.tovarii

During the past years, the field studies and research of several authors and Charles B. Heiser, Jr. have led to the discovery and recognition of several new taxa in the genus Capsicum in South America (Heiser & Smith, 1958; Eshbaugh & Smith, 1971 ). Years ago the authors were made aware of a pepper species believed to be endemic to the valleys of the Mantaro river basin in the Department of Huancavelica, Peru. Continuing investigation has convinced them that it is indeed a new species of Capsicum which was described for the first time.

Peru

Within the genus Capsicum, this species belongs to the group with 2n=24 chromosome. Karyotype investigations places this species close to Capsicum eximium, Capsicum pubescens and Capsicum cardenasii.

These species form the "purple-flowered group," in which C. pubescens is the coremember (Pickersgill, 1991). Their flowers are partly (or totally) purple-violet; C. tovarii also has white-cream forms (sometimes with greenish spots). The corolla shape is stellate in C. eximium and C. tovarii, campanulate in C. cardenasii, and rotate in C. pubescens. Fruits are spherical and red, and seeds reniform and brownish, except in C. pubescens,where fruit shape and color are variable, and seeds are irregular and blackish.

The shrubby growth form is typical, although C. eximium also has herbaceous and arborescent variants. The close relationships between C. eximium, C. cardenasii and C. pubescens (particularly the first two taxa) is supported by crossing experiments, which produce fertile hybrids in any of the combinations, although none of these species can be successfully crossed with C. tovariii (Pickersgill, 1991)

Capsicum tovarii is a perennial shrub, plant height can reach up to a meter.The branches of the plant grow creeping and often have a zigzag or irregular form. The base of the stem is very woody unlike the stems at the top of the plant

The 3.5-8 cm long and 1,2-3,8 cm wide leaves are ovate and slightly lanceolate. The top of the leaf is hairless or slightly hairy, and the bottem surface is slightly hairy.The leaf stem is slightly grooved, and 1 to 3 cm long.

The flowers of C.tovarii are functionally unisexual or bisexual. The cup-shaped calyx tube is 1.3 to 1.9 × 1.8 to 2.6 mm in size. The bell-shaped crown has a width 4.4 to 8.5 mm, the petals are purple and cream-colored or completely cream colored, with two green dots at the base of the petals

The tip of the petals are partialy bent backwards

The fruits grow on 1 to 2 cm long stems and mature from green to red. The fruits are spherical with a size of 4.4 to 7.6 x 4.2 to 7.3 mm in diameter. As with many wild species of the genus Capsicum, they can easily be removed from the calyx at maturity. The ear-shaped seeds are 3.5 to 4.5 mm long, cream-colored, ribbed and reticulate. The fruits of the plant is collected and used as a spice, the local names are Mukuru or Mucuru uchu (Tovar).