Description
Chilli Name: CAPSICUM MINUTIFLORUM
Chilli Species: Minutiflorum
Chilli Origin: Brazil
Chilli Heat: Unknown
Capsicum mirabile is one of the most elusive and primitive wild species in the entire Capsicum genus. Native to the dense rainforests of Brazil, particularly in the Amazon basin, this chilli is rarely seen in cultivation and is primarily known through herbarium specimens and academic studies. It belongs to the Atlantic Forest clade of Capsicum and is considered a key link in understanding the evolutionary origins of the genus.
The plant itself is highly distinctive: it grows into a small tree or large shrub, much larger than typical chillies, and thrives in shaded, humid conditions. Its leaves are broad, smooth-edged, and larger than those of more familiar Capsicum types. The flowers are generally greenish to yellow-white, solitary, and visually unremarkable — but botanically important due to their unique structure.
The fruit of C. mirabile is small, round, and fleshy, turning red when ripe. These fruits contain relatively few seeds, and while there's very limited data on flavour or pungency, the chilli is generally thought to be mild or non-pungent, possibly even sweet or bland. The species does not seem to produce capsaicin in any meaningful quantity.
What makes Capsicum mirabile so significant is its genetic distance from domesticated species. It’s considered one of the basal species — meaning it split off early in Capsicum’s evolutionary history. This gives it enormous value for researchers studying the development of fruit traits, capsaicin production, and plant structure in the genus.
Though not suitable for culinary use or general cultivation, C. mirabile is a rare gem of chilli biodiversity — a living relic of the Capsicum lineage that helps bridge the past with the present. For scientists, breeders, and seed conservationists, it’s a species well worth protecting.
