1. Capsicum Phylogeny and Domestication
Brian Walsh

2. Subfamily: Solanoideae Tribe: Capsicinae (since 1999)
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Capsicinae (since 1999)
Estimated 25 species (my count =37)
Native to South and Central America
Current distribution is global
One of the most utilized spice in the world
Part of human diet for 9000 years
All diploid
Typically self-fertilize
Most n=12 (some n=13)

4. One of the most diversely utilized plants
Spice
Food
Dye
Medicine
Weapons
Poison
Drinks
Deterrent
Insecticide/Pesticide
Preservative
Snuff
Rituals
Tribute
Town Names
Punishment

5. Domestication
Davenport (1970) proposes all five domesticated species arose from a single ancestor (C. frutescens L.) (Lumper) (based on morphology)
Heiser (1971) proposes each domesticated species arose from its own unique wild ancestor (Splitter) (hybridization studies)
Pickersgill (1972) agrees with Heiser - different cultivated species show a combination of characters suggesting domestication by different groups of people living in different areas.
Eshbaugh (1983) argues at least three distinct domesticated lineages based on morphology, plant breeding and enzyme analysis (C. chacoense is plesiomorphic)

6. Agricultural Centers of the New World and the theoretical flow of speciation
View from km above 5°18’S 63°55’W
Based on C. chacoense

7. Domesticated Characters in Capsicum
Wild
Gigantism of fruit
Altered fruit shape
Fruit color other than red
Retained on peduncle a maturity
Variable capsaicin levels
small fruit
Fruit round
Red fruit
Peduncle dehiscence at maturity
High capsaicin levels

9. Capsicum annuum

10. Eshbaugh’s breakdown into flower color categories (why?)
Capsicum annuum complex
C. annuum var. annuum
C. annuum var. avicular
C. frutescens
white flowers
C. chinense
C. chacoense
Capsicum baccatum group
C. baccatum var. praetermissum
white flowers with yellow spots
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
Capsicum eximium complex
C. pubescens
C. eximium
purple flowers
C. cardenasii
Total species=8

13. C. frutescens
Tabasco

15. C. baccatum var. praetermissum

17. Capsicum eximium

18. Capsicum eximium
C. baccatum var. praetermissum

19. Only species that strictly outcrosses
Capsicum cardenasii
Only species that strictly outcrosses

20. Flower color classification of Capsicum
Color categories inaccurate (too many exceptions)
Only a fraction of total species included
Doesn’t agree with molecular data

21. Current phylogenetic questions
Monophyly of genus
Resolving species relationships

22. Capsicum Monophyletic?
Modified from Bohs & Olmstead 1997

23. A B C A B C =
Monophyletic A A C A A C =
Not Monophyletic

24. Walsh 2001
(chloroplast atpB-rbcL spacer data)

25. Walsh 2001
(chloroplast atpB-rbcL spacer data)

26. Walsh 2001
combined atpB-rbcL spacer and waxy data
n=12/13

27. Walsh 2001
(chloroplast atpB-rbcL spacer data)

28. Capsicum monophyly Intact for the time being
Odd C. ciliatum seems to be the weak link
(n=13)

29. Mascone’s missing tree
Flow cytometry and Feulgen densitometry
1C-value of DNA = an equation for calculating genome size in absolute units
Genome size in Mbp

30. Visualization of Mascone’s results
Capsicum anuum complex
C. annuum var. annuum
C. annuum var. avicular
C. frutescens
white flowers
C. chinense
C. chacoense
United by similar DNA amount and little heterochromatin

31. 1C G
C. chacoense
C. annuum var. annuum
C. frutescens
C. chinense

32. Capsicum baccatum group
C. baccatum var. praetermissum
white flowers with yellow spots
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
C. baccatum var. umbilicatum
New variety described in 1998
Domesticated status unknown
Similar DNA amounts – not surprising

33. C. baccatum var. pendulum 3.69 3621
1C G
C. chacoense
C. annuum var. annuum
C. frutescens
C. chinense
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
C. baccatum var. umbilicatum
Interpreted from data – not explicitly stated

34. Capsicum eximium complex
C. pubescens
C. eximium
purple flowers
C. cardenasii
C. parvifolium synonym with C. cardenasii? (but description is off – tree?)
C. parvifolium only compared to C. campylopodium
points out distantly related and nothing more
C. campylopodium groups with C. pubescens – large genome size, and large amounts of heterochromatin forming complex patterns (tone implies trepidation)
C. eximium has DNA content intermediate between C. baccatum and C. pubescens, but genome size supports close relationship to C. pubescens as well as isozyme and cross studies

35. ? ? 1C G C. chacoense 3.35 3273 C. annuum var. annuum 3.38 3312
C. annuum var. annuum
C. frutescens
C. chinense
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
C. baccatum var. umbilicatum
C. eximium
C. pubescens ?
C. campylopodium ?
C. parvifolium/cardenasii

36. However, Mascone claims his data supports his hypothesis
Increase in DNA amount is evolutionary advancement
C. chacoense most plesiomorphic (ancestral)
C. campylopodium most advanced
n=13 in more recently evolved

37. Mascone tree rooted ? Least DNA C. chacoense C. annuum var. annuum
C. frutescens
C. chinense
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
C. baccatum var. umbilicatum
C. eximium
C. pubescens
Most DNA
C. campylopodium
x=13 ?
C. parvifolium/cardenasii

38. Mascone molecular ? ? Least DNA C. chacoense C. annuum var. annuum
C. frutescens
C. chinense
C. baccatum var. pendulum
C. baccatum var. baccatum
C. baccatum var. umbilicatum
C. eximium
C. pubescens
Most DNA
C. campylopodium
x=13 ? ?
C. parvifolium/cardenasii
ancestral

39. X=13 species C. ciliatum C. buforum C. campylopodium C. cornutum
C. schottianum
C. villosum
C. pereirae *
C. friburguense *
3 unnamed Capsicum

40. Capsicum flexuosum

41. n = 13
n = 12

42. Conclusion Capsicum needs more research
Appears to be an x=12/x=13 split in distant past
research hindered by incomplete sampling
Difficult to study domestication when phylogeny unresolved
6 new species identified in last 8 years

43. Naga Morich

52. Following Photos unused in presentation

53. Cherrapeño

54. Cherry Pepper
Bolivian rainbow

55. Chilaca
Fluorescent

56. Fredrik from Amalfi

57. Jalapeño - Biker Billy

58. Lemon black pepper
Little nubian

59. O'odham Indian Piquin

60. Peter Pepper
Pimenta-Doce

61. Poblano
Suryamukhi

62. Tepin
Variegata

63. C. Frutescens
Naga Jolokia / Tezpur

64. Tabasco
PI451762

65. C02466
Antillerna (Paris)
C. chinense

66. Capsicum galapagoense

67. C. chacoense
PI Putapario

69. C. Pubescens

70. Capsicum eximium
praetermissum

71. C. ciliatum

72. Capsicum Cardenasii

73. C. tovarii