Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’ (Pepper)

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Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’

Pepper

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Solanales	Potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, petunias, sweet potatoes, morning glories, many others
Family	Solanaceae	Nightshade or potato family
Genus	Capsicum	From Greek κάπτω, kapto, “to bite”
Species	annuum	“Annual” (though these are often perennials)
Cultivar	‘Black Pearl’

About plant names...

Cayenne peppers are natives of southern North America and northern South America. Most of the peppers we eat or grow as ornamentals are cultivated from this species, including anchos, banana peppers, cayennes, de árbols, guajillos, jalapeños, anaheims, Italian sweets, pasillas, peperoncinis, pimentos, poblanos, serranos, and tabascos. (A few, habaneros among them, have other origins.) The 'Black Pearl' cultivar was developed by the U.S. National Arboretum, as an ornamental plant.

If you are curious as to the origins of cayenne peppers, consider Kraig Harris Kraft's 2009 dissertation on the subject, The domestication of the chile pepper, Capsicum annuum: Genetic, ecological, and anthropogenic patterns of genetic diversity.

Identification: Plants are up to 12" (30 cm) high (smaller than many), densely branched. They are annuals in cooler climates and woody perennials in warmer ones. Leaves are oblong-ovate, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, about 1-2" (2.5-5 cm) long, and black. Flowers are purple (most cultivars have white flowers), about 1" (2.5 cm) in size, appearing from May to October. Fruits are shiny, oval in shape, ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) around, and black (or red) (most cultivars are green, yellow, orange, or red).