Peppers are in the Solanaceae family, along with tomatoes, eggplants and….

Potatoes. The term ‘hot pepper’ is not a botanical classification. They are often grouped by their fruit shape and/or heat intensity. The most commonly grown variety is C. annum, which includes cayenne, paprika and jalapenos, as well as sweet peppers. The hottest are in C. chinense, which includes Habanero and Thai Chilies.