What is "bell pepper"

Bell pepper \Bell" pep`per\ (Bot.) A species of Capsicum, or Guinea pepper ( Capsicum annuum). It is the red pepper of the gardens.

n. ''Capsicum annuum'', an edible spicy-sweet fruit, originating in the New World.

1. n. plant bearing large mild thick-walled usually bell-shaped fruits; the principal salad peppers [syn: sweet pepper, pimento, pimiento, paprika, sweet pepper plant, Capsicum annuum grossum]

2. large bell-shaped sweet pepper in green or red or yellow or orange or black varieties

Bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper or a pepper in the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland, and a capsicum in Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and New Zealand) is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, chocolate/brown, vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers". The ribs and seeds inside bell peppers may be consumed, but some people find the taste to be bitter.

Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. In 1493, however, pepper seeds were imported to Spain, and from there spread to other European, African, and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.

Ideal growing conditions for bell peppers include warm soil, ideally , that is kept moist but not waterlogged. Bell peppers are sensitive to an abundance of moisture and extreme temperatures.