Bell peppers are in the shellfish family or Solanaceae with tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes and peppers. Peppers in this plant family are scientifically classified as Capsicum annuum, and this applies to both sweet (such as bell peppers) and hot (such as jalapeños and cayenne) varieties. There are many varieties of Capsicum or chili peppers, classified under different species names. For example, habanero chile is classified under Capsicum chinense.