Capsicum eshbaughii
Capsicum eshbaughii is a wild species of chili pepper endemic to central Bolivia. It was first described by Gloria E. Barboza in 2011 and named in honor of the American botanist William H. Eshbaugh for his pioneering work on wild Capsicum taxonomy. The species is distinguished by its dense indumentum consisting of various types of glandular trichomes, 10 calyx appendages, bright-red fruits, and a stellate corolla that is white with purple margins and greenish-yellow spots in the throat.
Taxonomy and discovery
Capsicum eshbaughii was first collected by American botanist William H. Eshbaugh in the 1980s near Mairana, Bolivia. The species remained poorly known for decades and was thought to be possibly extinct in the wild. It was formally described in 2011 by Gloria E. Barboza based on herbarium material and earlier field collections, and named in honor of Eshbaugh for his contributions to wild Capsicum taxonomy.In December 2019, living populations were documented near Samaipata, Bolivia, by independent field researcher Rich Blood. The finding was later verified by Claudio Dal Zovo and subsequently confirmed through collections and molecular studies conducted by South American botanists including Gloria Barboza. These studies clarified the species’ placement within Capsicum section Andinum and confirmed its conservation significance.
Description
Capsicum eshbaughii is a perennial shrub or subshrub reaching in height. Stems are pale green when young and become grayish or light brown with age, often branching near the base and covered in a dense layer of glandular hairs that give the plant a slightly sticky texture. The leaves occur in pairs and are ovate, thin, and softly pubescent on both surfaces, appearing bright green above and grayish beneath.The flowers are small and star-shaped, usually white with faint purple or greenish spots near the throat. Each flower has ten slender calyx appendages—a key feature distinguishing the species from other Bolivian wild peppers. The anthers are pale yellow, and the style is slightly longer than the stamens, with a rounded green stigma.
Fruits are small, spherical berries about in diameter that ripen from dark green to bright red. They are pungent, thick-walled, and contain 8–20 yellowish seeds with a faintly reticulate surface pattern. The fruiting calyx remains attached after ripening, another characteristic trait of the species.