An investigation of the cultivated taxa of Capsicum (C. annuum L. var. annuum, C. baccatum var. pendulum (WILLD.) ESHBAUGH, C.pubescens RUIZ et PAV. and the C. frutescens L.-C. chinense JACQ.-complex) was carried out with plants grown from seeds under different conditions. Flowering plants of the individual taxa are well characterized by their different morphology. However, with either dried fruits or the powdered crude drugs, unambiguous identification of the species to which a given cultivar belongs by means of morphological and anatomical features is possible in certain cases only. Since there are pronounced differences in the capsaicinoid-composition of individual taxa, determination of capsaicinoids may serve as an additional valuable tool for the identification of the respective species.