Strange development in my pepper patch

[JayPoc]

So, one of my bell peppers (California Wonder, from seed from Burpee) is not what it is supposed to be. The plant always looked a little different, but I always assumed it was what I thought it was. Even as the fruit started coming, and had a weird shape...I just figured it was just a bad, weird bell pepper. Something messed up somewhere along the way. Well, I sampled one today, and it is very definitely NOT a bell pepper. In fact, it may be the hottest of all my peppers (not counting the Carolina Reaper...which I haven't sampled yet). So what in the world is this? Does this look like some known variety whose seed somehow slipped in with the California Wonder seeds? Or is this some sort of spontaneous mutation or accidental hybrid? I don't recognize the shape. Anybody? I can't emphasize enough how hot this thing was...lol.

A couple pics of the fruit:





And the foliage:



So...any ideas as to what might be going on?

[pepperhead212]

Looks like some sort of habanero, for sure! Probably a stray seed.

[JayPoc]

They are a little bigger and a slightly different shape than what typically shows up in my grocery store as "habaneros", but I do realize there are different varieties....so maybe. Very thin walled, and very hot...lol. I didn't plant any Habaneros, so if that's what they are the seed got mixed in at Burpee.

[PaulF]

Burpee is notorious for stray seeds or mislabeling. With their volume it is bound to happen. Peppers also cross very easily and whoever grew out that particular batch may not have been as careful as they should. Lots of reasons. If you grew out several plants and they are all like that, I bet they would send you another pack. If that one plant is all, then a stray snuck in. Maybe you will like that variety.

[imafan26]

It looks a bit like ghost peppers. If they don't have lot of seeds in them, they could be. You should always handle peppers with gloves, especially the super hots.

[JayPoc]

The one I opened was full of seeds.

[onlylobster]

Burpee also sells a Caribbean red hot pepper that they say is like a habanero but hotter. It looks like your pepper to me.

[HoneyBerry]

It looks too much like a habanero to not be a habanero.