Capsicum chinense

Capsicum chinense, commonly known as a "habanero-type pepper", is a species of chili pepper native to the Americas. C. chinense varieties are well known for their unique flavors and, in many cases, exceptional heat. The hottest peppers in the world are members of this species, with a Scoville heat unit score of 2.69 million measured in the C. chinense cultivar Pepper X in 2023.

Some taxonomists consider C. chinense to be within the species C. annuum, and they are a member of the C. annuum complex; however, C. chinense and C. annuum pepper plants can sometimes be distinguished by the number of flowers or fruit per node – two to five for C. chinense and one for C. annuum – though this method is not always accurate. The two species can also hybridize and generate inter-specific hybrids. C. frutescens may be the ancestor to the C. chinense species.