Summary
Capsicum annuum L. produces a single flower and thus a single fruit per branching node. In contrast, Capsicum chinense Jacq. yields two or more flowers per node. If genes for multiple-flowers per node could be transferred from C. chinese to C. annuum, it might be possible to breed C. annuum varieties with a more concentrated fruit set and potentially higher yield. Using progeny from an interspecific cross between C. annuum cv. NM 6-4 and C. chinense CA4, it has been determined that a minimum of five independently segregating chromosomal regions control the difference in flowering behavior between these two accessions. One of the segments is located on a translocated chromosome. Epistatic interactions among independent chromosomal regions appear to play a major role in the determination of this trait.
Although it is unlikely that the multiple-flower character can be transferred to C. annuum in its full intensity while maintaining a horticulturally-acceptable phenotype, it may be possible to breed varieties which produce an average of more than 1.5 flowers per node, a value 50% higher than existing C. annuum varieties.
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Tanksley, S.D., Iglesias-Olivas, J. Inheritance and transfer of multiple-flower character from Capsicum chinense into Capsicum annuum . Euphytica 33, 769–777 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021903
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021903