MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



W. Dewart, at that time Botanical Assistant at the Garden, 

 made numerous observations, especially noting structural 

 characters. Later Mr. J. G. Smith continued the work, 

 following much the same plan. My own study of this 

 genus began in the spring of 1896 with bringing together 

 the material left by others, recording observations on the 

 growing plants of that year, and comparing them with 

 previous notes. In addition to the work of the gentlemen 

 named, I am especially indebted to Professor William Tre- 

 lease for valuable assistance and suggestions in all parts of 

 the work. 



Concerning the early history of Capsicum, there is 

 abundant evidence that the entire genus had its origin in 

 the American tropics, though numerous so-called species 

 have been attributed to Southern Asia. It seems to have 

 been first mentioned by Peter Martyn in an epistle dated 

 September 1493, in which he says Columbus brought home 

 " pepper more pungent than that from Caucasus/ 7 * De 

 Candolle advances the opinion that a plant so easily grown 

 and so agreeable to the tastes of inhabitants of warm 

 countries would probably have been known previous to the 

 discovery of America, whereas no ancient Sanskrit or 

 Chinese name for the genus is known, neither were the 

 Greeks, Romans, nor even Hebrews acquainted with it.f 

 The rapidity with which the plants spread in tropical 

 countries, together with the increased commercial trade im- 

 mediately following the discovery of America, probably 

 caused a rapid dissemination through the Old World 

 tropics, where the plants were afterwards found by later 

 botanists, many of whom supposed them to be indigenous. 



The opinion of different authorities seems to vary greatly 

 concerning the number of species and varieties. Three 

 varieties were figured by Fuchsius in 1542, thirteen by 

 Gregorius in 1611, twenty by Parkinson in 1640. Thirty- 

 five were mentioned by Morison in 1699, twenty-seven by 



* Sturtevant, American Naturalist 24: 151. 1890. 



f De Candolle, Origin of Cultivated Plants 288. 1882. 



