The
cayenne pepper, also known as the
Guinea spice,
cow-horn pepper,
red hot chili pepper,
aleva,
bird pepper,' or, especially in its powdered form,
red pepper, is a
cultivar of
Capsicum annuum related to
bell peppers,
jalapeños,
paprika, and others. The
Capsicum genus is in the
nightshade family (
Solanaceae). It is a hot
chili pepper used to flavor dishes. It is named for the city of
Cayenne in
French Guiana.