Tepin
Capsicum: Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
Origin: Mexico
PI:
Flower: erect, stellate, small
Petals: white
Spots: no
Calyx: toothless
Pods: round, red, pea size
Seed: yellow-brown
Leaves: rather small, glabrous
Plant height: 24" > 36"
Maturity: 90 Days
Habit: a sturdy, tall bush
Scoville: 70,000-100,000
Germ. Time: 1 wk > 2 mo.

This variety is more accurately part of the annuum var. glabriusculum species. These little gems are also called chiletepin, bird's eye or bird peppers. They grow wild in Mexico and the southern U.S. (including Florida), but are difficult to get to germinate in the home garden. (The seeds germinate readily after passing through a bird's digestive system, though.) These tall elegant plants produce small marble like peppers less than 1cm in diameter and tend to fruit best in second year and should be brought indoors to overwinter. Traditionally, they are harvested by breaking off whole branches and letting the little balls of fire dry before shaking them off and in Mexico tepins are used to season just about everything on the table.
Tepin is derived from a Nahuatl word meaning "flea".

Reply to this comment