ITHACA, N.Y. -- Where did peppers originate? Why are some hot and some not? Why don't all peppers look alike? What are the benefits of eating peppers?

Answers to these and other burning questions can be found at the Cornell Plantations' Pounder Heritage Vegetable Garden, where special displays -- and plantings that are now in fruit -- demonstrate the history, genetic diversity and importance of peppers.

A guided garden tour Saturday, Sept. 27, from 1to 3 p.m. includes tips on growing peppers and recipes for eating them, too. The fee for the tour is $10 ($5 for Plantations members), and reservations can be made by calling (607) 254-7430.

"September is when these peppers are at their hottest -- and we do mean hot," says Plantations gardener Glenn Bucien, who started growing the plants in greenhouses back in February because some pepper varieties take 150 days to mature. He explains that jalapeño peppers (Capsicum annuum ) range from 2,000 to 5,000 Scoville heat units (a measure used to determine "heat" in peppers) while the hottest habaneros (Capsicum chinense ) weigh in at 450,000 units.

More than 50 varieties of peppers -- ranging from sweet to fiery and from smaller than a pea to bigger than a grapefruit -- are on display. Among these are familiar favorites like Capsicum frutescens , the pepper used in Tabasco&tm; sauce, along with lesser-known varieties like the chiltecpen, or bird's eye pepper -- one of the world's hottest. Also in the Pounder Vegetable Garden are less scorching plantings, including both colonial and New World varieties of historic garden vegetables, Victorian vegetables, World War I and II victory gardens, and contemporary garden plants.

In addition to starting seedlings early, Bucien wintered over other varieties, like aji lemon (which makes a good indoor potted plant) from previous years. "All peppers are tropical plants, originating in central Bolivia and the upper Amazon basin," he notes. "They're mostly perennials in their native habitats, but here we use them as annuals." And peppers do more than just liven up our dinner, he adds: "Capsaicin, a pepper derivative, is sold in salve form to relieve muscle aches and mixed with birdseed to keep squirrels away. Nutritionally speaking, a bell pepper has far more vitamin C than an orange."

A virtual tour of the pepper display can be taken by visiting the Web site: http://www.plantations.cornell.edu/collections/botanical/peppers.cfm .

Like other Plantations collections, the Garden is open, free of charge, to the public during daylight hours. Across the road is the Garden Gift Shop, featuring books, clothing and other gifts for nature lovers. The shop is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (607) 255-2400; visit the Plantations Web site at http://www.plantations.cornell.edu ; or e-mail plantations@cornell.edu .