Chiltepin Tohono O´odham
Capsicum: Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum Collected in: Mexico PI: 281372 Scoville units: 70,000-100,000
Blossom end shape: Fruit position and shape: blunt Fruit size and color: round, red, pea size Calyx shape: toothless
Flower: erect, stellate, small Petals/Spots: white/none Filament color: white Anther color: blue
Habit: a sturdy, tall bush Stem: smooth Leaves: rather small, glabrous Taste:
Maturity: 90 days Plant height: 24" > 36" Germ. Time: 1 wk > 2 mo. Uses:·crushed, powder
Chiltepin is cultivated from wild varieties which grow in mountain canyons of the Sonoran desert.
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico. "Tohono O'odham" means "Desert People."
The small berry-like fruits can be eaten ripe, when red in color, or green before they ripen. Harvest time for Chiltepin berries is in the fall. It is used as a spice and is high in vitamins A, C and riboflavin. Chiltepins are very hot and the heat is said to be quick, intense, but not long-lasting compared to some other hot peppers.
History: NPGS received this cultivar in 1962 as Capsicum annuum and assigned a PI # the same year, In 2011 it was reclassified as Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum.