The plant grows to over a meter high, has hollow square stems, large leaves, and occasional white flowers with violet calyxes.
Cannabinoids, terpenoids, and other compounds are secreted by glandular trichomes that occur most abundantly on the floral calyxes and bracts of female plants.
The sweet paprika is mostly pericarp with more than half of the seeds removed, whereas hot paprika contains some seeds, placentas, calyxes, and stalks.
The flowers of the plant are also unusual, with purple calyxes and white corollas.
Their scarlet flowers with red, densely velvety calyxes may appear from winter to early summer, usually before new foliage is produced.
The flowers have three petals and three calyxes and measure 6to(-) 8.
They feed on the seeds of their host plant from inside a case constructed from the calyxes.
After the calyxes are removed, the petals are then pickled in plum vinegar and salt and the product subsequently dried.
