Scintillating Pepper

Scintillating peppers are a sort of Distal analogue to capsaicin-producing members of the Capsicum genus of terrestrial plants.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Scintillating pepper plants are very similar to Capsicum frutescens, though the fruits tend to droop and become heavier laden with spicy oils. The leaves of the scintillating pepper are very dark green with dark purple veins. The fruits of the plant start green when unripe and become very dark purple with noticeable bright specks when ripe; these are the luciferomes (see Genetics & Reproduction).

Genetics and Reproduction

Scintillating pepper plants bear fruit and, like their terrestrial counterparts, use high capsaicin concentrations in these fruits to dissuade mammals and other creatures that can damage the seeds within (such as Distal Razorbacks and Flabbergrype) from eating them. Flashravens, birds, and Distal Urticators leave intact seeds behind in their feces or as a result of messy eating habits, allowing these seeds - and, thus, the plants - to spread themselves far and wide.
As an additional defense against damaging predators and in the manner of many creatures native to the Distal Tesseract, the peppers are bioluminescent. The light produced by the pepper is faint and occurs in specks (luciferomes) spread across the surface - green when young, then fading to a purple-green starting at the tips when ripe. Distal Polyp colonies, averse as they are to high concentrations of visible light, treat patches of the pepper as though they are overpopulated areas and stay away. This has the effect that even scintillating peppers that rot due to not being eaten are often still able to germinate free of scavenging by polyp colonies.

Ecology and Habitats

Scintillating peppers are found in temperate, hot, and dry regions of the Distal Tesseract and associated regions. The biggest crops may be found in Rostral B, Distal A, and Distal D; the Eiquereus Craglands have soil too acidic to support large populations.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Though eating the whole fruits is painful at best and dangerous at worst, scintillating peppers are not poisonous to terrestrial biology and, while uncommon at most tables, has seen some interest as an ingredient in sauces and extracts. Capsaicin is not a chiral molecule per se and, thus, retains its effects even on the tonuges of terrestrial creatures like humanoids when extracted from Distal peppers like these.
Rostran food scientists with Eudoxia Chemical Group grow scintillating peppers in an agri-mine at Eudoxia in the Rostran Archipelago Confederacy. Here, they create a festive salsa with the peppers that has a unique purple color and, when fresh, sparkles with tiny motes of light when shaken vigorously. Artificial sweeteners and sweet chili oils are also produced in this facility using scintillating peppers.

Scientific Name

D. Capsicum lumina