Every Bolivian Rainbow I've ever run across has had the purple flowers of c. frutescens.

The cross-pollination chart is in the FAQ linked at the top of the page. Scroll down to the link for "Which peppers will cross-pollinate?"

Ah- but lots of annuums have purple flowes

Key to Pepper Species
This key was created and donated by Dr. Paul Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Vegetable Crops, U.C. Davis.

A. Corolla solid color, white to waxy yellow green, without spots or other contrasting colors

B. Anthers pale blue to purple *
C. Flowers solitary (sometimes 2 at first flowering node), white **, calyx distinctly ridged, small teeth (less than 1 mm) at margin
C. annuum

CC. Flowers commonly 2-5 per node, corolla white to pale waxy green
D. Distinct annular constriction at the base of calyx, teeth minute, corolla white, pedicels variously curved.
C. chinense

DD. Calyx not constricted, teeth lacking, pedicels slender, stiffly erect at bud stage, corolla pale waxy green.
C. frutescens

BB. Anthers without anthocyanin, corolla white
C. Plants glabrous or nearly so, calyx tube heavily ridged, teeth as long as calyx tube filament bases with distinct appendages or "wings"
C. chacoense

CC. Plants pubescent, calyx without teeth, filament bases without appendages
C. galapagoense

AA. Corolla base with distinct single spot or continuous basal zone, anthers yellow (except C. pubescens).
B. Basal zone continuous
C. Corolla purple with white basal zone, plant pubescent, leaves rugose, seeds black.
C. pubescens

CC. Corolla yellow, basal zone chocolate, plant glabrous, leaves smooth, up to 15 flowers per node, seeds tan
Ac. 393 (S.E. Peru)

BB. Basal spots distinct, pale green or yellow
C. Corolla white to pale lavender to purple, spots pale green, seeds tan
D. Corolla lavender to purple,*** calyx teeth 1.2-1.8 mm.
C. eximium

DD. Corolla dirty white, plant pubescent
C. eximium var. tomentosum

CC. Corolla white or with purplish tint, spots pale green. Seeds black
D. Corolla white, calyx teeth indistinct
C. schiottianum

DD. Corolla white or with lavender tint, free portion of petals distinctly in-rolled, seeds black
C. buforum

AAA. Corolla lobes with 2 distinct spots at the base, seeds tan to brown
B. Corolla rotate
C. Petal segments distinct
D. Corolla white, spots pale green
C. baccatum var. baccatum

DD. Corolla white, spots yellow
C. baccatum var. pendulum

DDD. Outer margin to ½ of corolla lavender, leaves lightly rugose, moderately pubescent
C. praetermissum

CC. Petal segments indistinct, margin ruffled, points at petal intersection
Ac. 1230 (Brazil)

BB. Corolla urn shaped, cream to violet
C. Corolla urn shaped, cream to violet
C. tovarii

CC. Corolla campanulate, lavender
C. cardenasii

* A C. annuum with yellow anthers has been seen.
** C. annuum forms with anthocyanin in the leaves and stems also have
lavender to purple flowers.
*** Flower color in wild C. eximium may range from typical lavender
through various intergrades to purple. This is clearly the influence of
natural hybridization with C. pubescens.

RE Seeds of Change

About the only place I know that sells the seeds
says C.frutescens.. Grows with the point of the pod up

Enjoy a nice tasting pepper.

When I first got seeds for Bolivians I had a mix of plants, some where the peppers grew like pendants others where they grew upwards, so I don't think that's really a definitive trait to determine the species. In general the bolivians seem to have really vigorous growth, more so than a frutescens variety would have. Additionally, I have had bolivian plants with white flower, a mix of white and purple, as well as pure purple. It may be that they have a mix of genes from both species.

Thanks....

Fieldmaster
That is just too confusing at 8am in the morning LOL! Will have to come back after lots of coffee.

Shelbyguy
Didn't think to look here for the chart! Good grief.

Pepper_tamer,
I very well could get Bolivian with different traits being that these seed came from Pepper Joe!

For what it is worth, I got my seed for Bolivian Rainbow this year from tomatogrowers.com

They seem to be the real deal.

Vera

Looks like you had a cross pollenated batch

Here is a link that might be useful: BR Upright

Byron....

Can't say that until they flower and set fruits :D
At this point they are only seedlings.

Some of the other seeds I grew out from Pepper Joe were the Barney and Pueblo which had a few odd looking from the rest. For example one of the Pueblo were variegated. So am expecting these BR to vary between plants also.