Recent insights into species diversity and species relationships in Capsicum L.

CARRIZO GARCÍA C.; EHRENDORFER F; BARBOZA G.E.

Davis

Congreso; 13th Solanaceae Conference. SolGenomics: from advances to applications; 2016

Capsicum L. (Solanaceae) is a genus of great economic importance because it includes the renowned sweet and hot chili peppers. Apart from the five cultivated species, there are ca. 30 poorly known wild species, distributed from Mexico to Brazil, Paraguay and Central Argentina. The species diversity of the genus has not been exhaustively analyzed so far, and therefore, the number of species, their delimitation and relationships are not yet completely understood. Capsicum species predominantly have the chromosome base number of x = 12, but x = 13 is also registered. There are several partial studies that deal with different groups of species but only recently a comprehensive analysis of the total genus diversity and evolution has been done by our research group. The current meeting offers the opportunity to present our results on Capsicum species diversification and relationships, and to discuss them within the context of our more recent phylogenetic analyses.Altogether, several clades of more closely allied species and some isolated species are recognized. The most basal and unique Capsicum species belong to a clade native to the northern Andes and adjacent Central America with non-pungent red fruits and x = 13. The current territories of Bolivia and Peru as well as the Andes of NW South America have to be regarded as the most important centers of diversification concerning several not closely related lineages with x = 12. The Atlantic Forest of SE Brazil is another relevant center of diversification of wild chilies, mostly with greenish yellow fruits and x = 13. The cultivated species belong to three different lineages among the most derived clades of the genus; no closer wild relatives can be suggested for C. pubescens.Even though at least 35 Capsicum species can be distinguished today, both cultivated and wild, a number of populations are still under study to define their identity. All this suggests that the species number of Capsicum may still increase. Thus, new and extensive field expeditions are obligatory to obtain a better understanding of the total Capsicum diversity.