Morphologic characterization of 100 Capsicum accessions from the Germplasm Bank at Nacional University of Colombia | Caracterización morfológica de cien introducciones de Capsicum del Banco de Germoplasma de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Palmira

English. Morphologic characterization of 100 Capsicum accessions from the Germplasm Bank at Nacional University of Colombia. 100 accessions of 4 species of Capsicum from the germplasm bank at National University of Colombia, Palmira Campus, morphologically were characterized. The accessions were collected in different regions of Colombia such as Andean, Caribbean, Pacific, Amazon, and East Savannas and some ones introduced from other countries of Central and South America through the germplasm bank of USDA. 41 IPGRI´s descriptors were used to characterize the Capsicum accessions; fourteen of them were used to describe the vegetative traits, 10 to describe inflorescence traits, and 17 to describe fruit and seed traits. Frequency analysis for qualitative traits, main component analysis for quantitative traits, and multiple correspondence and discriminate analysis for both trait types were carried out. The morphologic characterization showed variability for all descriptors evaluated, specially fruit and architecture variation explained 60% of total variability found. The grouping, using Dice´s distance as evaluation criterion, permited formation of groups based in size, weight, and color of fruit. However, this criterion did not permit discriminate among species. Narrow genetic distances among species, showed that C. annuum, C frutescens, and C. chinense conform one morphologic group. Keywords: Capsicum, genetic germplasm, morphologic variation.

Spanish; Castilian. Para la caracterización morfológica de cien introducciones de Capsicum, recolectadas en Colombia (Zonas Andina, Caribe, Pacífica, Amazónica y Llanos Orientales) o introducidas de países centro y suramericanos a través del Banco de Germoplasma de USDA, se utilizaron 41 descriptores propuestos por el IPGRI (14 de caracteres vegetativos, 10 de inflorescencia y 17 de fruto y semilla). La caracterización morfológica mostró variabilidad para todos los descriptores evaluados, en especial los relacionados con el fruto y arquitectura de planta que explicaron el 60% de la variabilidad total (análisis de componentes principales). La distancia de Dice posibilitó formar grupos basados en tamaño, peso y color de fruto, pero no dejó discriminar entre especies. Las estrechas distancias genéticas entre C. annuum, C. frutescens, y C. chinense permiten concluir que las tres conforman un grupo morfológico. Palabras claves: Capsicum, genética, morfología. Variación morfológica. Germoplasma.