CHILETEPINS ARE ...*Condiments, used alone or in salsas.
About the size of a pea.
*Usually red and grow strictly in the wild.
- The oldest known chile.
- Found throughout Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and south of Tucson.
The chiltepin plants grow about 3 to 4 feet high and can be used as ornamentals.
The seeds contain a compound called capsaicin. It is used as an insecticide and as a topical treatment for neuralgia. It is also used as a temporary treatment for osteoarthritis
Sources: Joshua Tewksbury of the University of Montana; Suzanne Nelson, conservation director of 'Native Seeds/SEARCH, and the 1998 Consumer Reports Complete Drug Reference.