| Bishop's crown | |||||||
| Species: | Capsicum baccatum | ||||||
| Cultivar: | Bishop's crown | ||||||
| Module: |
| ||||||
The bishop's crown, Christmas bell, or joker's hat, is a pepper, a cultivar of the species Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum,[2] named for its distinct, three-sided shape resembling a bishop's crown.[3]
Although this variety can be found in Barbados,[3] and is Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum, [2] it may be indigenous to South America. Today, it is also grown in Europe, possibly brought there from Brazil by the Portuguese sometime in the 18th century.[2]
The actual plant is relatively large, being 3-4 ft (0.8-1.2 m) in height. It produces 30 to 50 peculiar, three or four flat-winged, wrinkled pods. These somewhat flying saucer-like peppers grow to about 1.5 in (4 cm) wide.[2]
The flesh inside each pepper is thin, yet crisp. They mature to red from a pale green colour about 90-100 days after the seedlings emerge.[2]
The body of the peppers have very little heat, with the wings being sweet and mild.[2]
This pepper has numerous common names, some of which are shared by other varieties of the species.[2]