Wild Hawaii?

[Luca dalla Tailandia 2]

Ok, I'll post this in english only as with the translation of technical terms there almost are errors.

 

I have a quite nice plant since several month (maybe 8 or 9) which was supposed to be a wild Hawaii species. I got the seeds from a guy I lost contact ( he perhaps is heavily drinking) - and he anyway got it from a source from which he also had no way of knowing more obout the origins.

 

I have done some rescearch about a wild Hawaii species, but there actually are any such "real wild" in Hawaii. There is a tiny-one there, which is growing wild, but that one is looking differently and actually has no "wild" characteristics, - at least on the pictures I found so far.

 

Although, my plant looks very interesting and it also looks quite wild. Here are some pictures, which should be more descriptive at the end!

 

Here is how it looked a few month ago - it was growing extremely slowly.

 

 

One of the first blossoms:

 

 

And that's how it looks these days.

 

 

The "berries" are very tiny and look wild as well... they have nice heat but not good enough to kill an elephant, and a special aroma as well. This spicy aroma is more strong and surprising than the actual heat. So what happens if yopu taste it: first you get a little "scarry" it might hit you hard - but soon enough you realize that it is actually the aroma (which in fact is hard to discribe - I would even call it neutral or "thailike") that surprises you.

 

 

Scale is Centimeter of course...

 

 

So I would love to know what it actually is... any clue?

 

Thanks for any hint or fully solved enigma

 

Luca

[JohnF 0]

It looks like one of the chiltepins ( of which there are many). If there are no wild native peppers in Hawaii ( and that makes sense) perhaps it is one that someone took there many years ago and now considers Hawaiian. Or you were misinformed about the pepper.

[mammoccio 7]

My guess is for tepin/chiltepin too buddy (the plant like a bush,the leaves and blooms) but the description of the taste and the "notsobigheat" thing also remember me my only chacoense plant, see --> http://tinyurl.com/6q6vp8

I'm not really a wild guru

 

Vito

[JohnF 0]

These are some of that type. There are many more. To show how hard it is to identify by pod shape.

 

 

]

[mammoccio 7]

My god too many!Will be nice to collect them BTW John If i may ask, did u founded taste differences between or more less they taste the same? Also I'm really interested in a heat differences..

 

Vito

[JohnF 0]

Hi Vito

 

The heat varies but most are fairly hot. I don't think any of them stand out for flavor--mostly just for heat.

[Luca dalla Tailandia 2]

Hi Vito and John!

In fact I was expecting John's view or opinion

 

The heat varies but most are fairly hot. I don't think any of them stand out for flavor--mostly just for heat.

 

There may be a missunderstanding here, as my perception of the heat is probaly subjective. I actually live in Thailand and eat Thaichilis almost every day. And some (more or less unknown) of them are clearly underrated in terms of Scoville. So don't give too much about that point - I guess (recon) those "Birdies" are quite hot. And as I said, the flavor is neutral and actually remembers me the one of some Thais. So, that is what caused the fasle "aha-effect".

 

Anyway, I can clealry see now (thanks to your exampes John) that an identification based on pod shape is though.

Well still, they amazingly look like your "Bird,Texas Monticello"!

 

I guess I have to take even a closer shot of one of the blooms- an yes (@Vito) they actually do not really look like those of a chacoense...

 

There is something else I forgot to mention: the berries detach very easily from the stem (or however the part is called where they are fixed), even when only nearly ripe (orange color). You barely touch'm - and they already detach! I also will make a closeup with berry plus stem, perhaps tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the great info so far!

[alb 1]

There is something else I forgot to mention: the berries detach very easily from the stem (or however the part is called where they are fixed), even when only nearly ripe (orange color). You barely touch'm - and they already detach!

 

Hi Luca,

this is what generally happens with Cardenasii, but they don't look like Cardenasii (neither the plant, neither the flower, neither the pod).

[JohnF 0]

Have had had both C. chacoense and C. baccatum var. baccatum ( and some other of the "wild" type) with that deciduous trait. The pods also tended to be very thin fleshed and juicy.

[Luca dalla Tailandia 2]

Sorry for the delay, here are fresh pics from the field!

 

 

 

 

This the closest I can get and the best I can realize with my equipment. Hope they are good enough to perhaps get a (more) conclusive determination.

[JohnF 0]

Your pictures are fine. There are just too many similar pods. From your flowers it is evident that it is not a baccatum. I would say either C. annuum or C. chacoense but can't say beyond that.

[Luca dalla Tailandia 2]

Your pictures are fine. There are just too many similar pods. From your flowers it is evident that it is not a baccatum. I would say either C. annuum or C. chacoense but can't say beyond that.

 

OK, afterwords I'd opt for chaoënse (too), as the leaves and the branching habit are most definitely not the one of c. annuum (whatever var.)

It is once more confirmed by the easy (yet slow) growing in quite harsh conditions and the strong resistance the plant showed against fungus, plagues and other threads. Something that I found while browsing the net and which is said to be qualities of C. chaoënse. The lesser pugnency as expected from a wild species is one more indication. Don't you agree... ?

 

 

Thanks Dear!

[JohnF 0]

Yes, they tend to be milder than, say, the chinense and some have almost no heat.

[cmpman1974 503]

Luca, I too believe it's a C. Chacoense based on the traits and pictures.

 

Chris

[Luca dalla Tailandia 2]

Luca, I too believe it's a C. Chacoense based on the traits and pictures.

 

Hi Chris!

That makes us two and a half (no offense at all John, just kidding) men, right?

Well Chris, I guess you have to relabel yours as well. Sorry for that and in case there was trouble.

But as you can see I took care about finding out what they really are...

 

Off topic (as the case is as good as close): which is not always the case. I am watching the scene in some pepper forums, where more and more people get to grow peppers. Notably in German forums where some people get more and more hybrids and strange breeds from (nearly all in some cases) of their second or third generation seeds. Finally they end up loving them a bit like nameless half-breed puppies (which is understandable), but narrating about them as if they were distinct species (which is much less understandable). Furthermore, I've even seen people describing "serrano" as a distinct kind, while it is a general term which literary means "from the mountain" and actually outlines several kinds with quite different shapes and heat levels. In that case, they simply thought that their serranos were the serranos...

 

One may respect the efforts that are done and let them have fun - not intervene (as I did in that case), but on the other hand this is not such a good development.

 

Or what shall one do in such case(s)? As an old chinese saying goes: "the one who always speaks out the truth shall ride a quick horse"! But that was the times when masters and rulers traditionally killed the messengers of bad news, right?