CAP'SICUM (Neo-Lat., from Lat. capsa, box, from capere, to hold). A genus of plants of the natural order Solanneete. having a wheel shaped corolla, projecting and converging sta mens, and a dry berry. The species are all of a shrubby, busby appearance, and have more or woody stems. although they are annual or biennial plants. About ninety species have been named. They are natives of tropical America, have simple leaves and rather inconspicuous flowers, and some of them are in very general cul tivation in tropical and sub-tropical countries for their fruit, which is extremely pungent and stimulant, and is employed in sauces, mixed pickles, medicine, etc., often under its Mexican mune of eh firs. The fruits of different species differ in form, being round, oval, conical, heart shaped, etc.; they vary from half an inch to 4 incites in length, and are sometimes of a bright red, sometimes of a yellow color. In all, the dry
berry has an inflated appearance, and contains numerous whitish. flattened seeds, which are even more pungent than the leathery epidermis or the spongy pulp. Cayenne pepper consists chiefly of the ground seeds. Cfwieuta annuum, sometimes called common capsicum or chilli-pepper, is, perhaps, the most common species in cultivation. 'apsirum frutesrens, sometimes call'' goat-pep pe•. and Ca psicu m bacca I it m. sometimes called bird-pepper, have great pungency, and the for mer is generally described as the true Cayenne pepper. Capsi•unt ecrasiforme, with a small, cherry-like fruit, and therefore called cherry pepper, and Capsicum grossum, with a large, ob long, or ovate fruit, known as bell-pepper, are frequently cultivated. The fruit is used either ripe or unripe, except for making Cayenne pep per, for which dried ripe fruit is employed. See PEPPER.