Pincha Pepperplant

Pincha Pepperplant is a hot, high-temperature crop that grows in any atmosphere, provided the plant is kept within its temperature and pressure requirements. It can be planted in either a Farm Tile or a Hydroponic Farm when domesticated, and it is one of the few food plants that thrives in the upper end of the temperature range rather than being harmed by it.

A domestic Pincha Pepperplant takes 8 cycles to mature, while a wild plant takes 32 cycles. It requires a temperature range of 35 °C to 85 °C and an air pressure of 150 g to 10 kg. When domesticated, it consumes 35 kg/cycle Polluted Water and 1 kg/cycle Phosphorite, even if growth is halted. A wild plant does not require irrigation or fertilization. Each mature plant produces 4 Pincha Peppernuts per harvest.

Pincha Pepperplants are valued mainly for their seed fruit, which is used in several advanced food and morale systems. Pincha Peppernuts are an ingredient in Pepper Bread, Spicy Tofu, and Stuffed Berry, and recipes using them gain a small calorie contribution along with improved food quality. They are also consumed by the Espresso Machine to improve Duplicant morale, and they can be used at the Apothecary to make Immuno Reducers. Because the crop outputs only 4 Pincha Peppernuts per harvest, a single domestic plant supports about 2,000 kcal/cycle of Pepper Bread production in the long term.

The plant also has a decor value of +15 within 2 tiles, so clustered farms can contribute a small morale benefit in addition to their agricultural role. Since it accepts Polluted Water, it is often useful for disposing of hot wastewater near the end of cooling systems. Its high heat tolerance makes it especially convenient for overheated industrial byproducts that would kill many other crops.

Practical notes:

• Even when growth is paused, a domesticated plant still consumes Phosphorite, so it is wasteful to keep one fertilized unless it is actually being used.
• If the goal is to dispose of Polluted Water, its consumption rate is not fast enough to handle sudden large backups on its own.
• Because it can grow at very high temperatures, it is a strong choice for hot Polluted Water disposal loops.
• If heat transfer is a concern, routing pumped gases through standard pipes near the plant bases can help exchange heat; insulated piping can be used for the rest of the system.
• Polluted Water with germs can be safely used for irrigation, since cooking raw food removes germs automatically, though it can still spread infection through direct Duplicant contact with the Espresso Machine process chain.

Pincha Pepperplants are therefore best treated as a specialized late-game crop: not a general food source, but a reliable way to turn hot polluted fluids and Phosphorite into morale, food quality, and medical ingredients.