Physalis acutifolia |
Physalis pubescens |
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sharp leaf ground cherry, Wright groundcherry |
hairy ground-cherry, husk tomato |
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Habit | Herbs annual, taprooted, sparsely pubescent to ± glabrous, hairs simple, appressed, antrorse, to 0.5 mm. | Herbs annual, taprooted, ± glabrous to villous, hairs simple, jointed, glandular and eglandular, of varying lengths, all shorter than 0.5 mm, plants from southwestern United States all glandular, green in appearance when dry. |
Stems | erect to decumbent, branching at most nodes, branches spreading and sometimes decumbent, 1–5 dm. |
erect, branching at most nodes, branches spreading, 0.5–8 dm. |
Leaves | petiolate; petiole mostly 1/2–2/3 blade; blade narrowly elliptic-ovate to lanceolate, (1.5–)2.5–6.8(–8.3) × (0.7–)1–2.5(–5.4) cm, base attenuate to rounded, margins coarsely, deeply, irregularly dentate, teeth acuminate. |
petiolate; petiole 1/5 to as long as blade; blade broadly ovate to orbiculate, (1.6–)2.5–8(–9.5) × (1–)2–7 cm, base rounded to slightly cordate, margins entire or coarsely dentate, teeth fewer than 8 per side. |
Pedicels | (13–)20–34(–40) mm, (20–)25–35(–39) mm in fruit. |
slender, 3.5–9 mm, 5–15 mm in fruit. |
Flowers | calyx (3–)4–5(–6) mm, lobes (1–)2–4 mm, (acute to acuminate); corolla pale yellow to nearly white with green or darker yellow tinge, rotate, 5–15 mm; anthers usually blue-tinged, rarely all blue or yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–3 mm. |
calyx 3–6(–7) mm, lobes 1–3.5 mm; corolla yellow with 5 large, dark purple-brown-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 6–11 mm; anthers blue, rarely yellow or blue-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–2 mm. |
Fruiting calyces | nearly filled by berry, 10-ribbed, 15–25(–30) × 13–20(–22) mm. |
loosely enclosing berry, sharply 5-angled, 20–35 × 15–25(–30) mm, always noticeably longer than wide. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Physalis acutifolia |
Physalis pubescens |
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Phenology | Flowering (May–)Jul–Nov. | Flowering year-round in areas without frost, mostly May–Oct. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas along streams and roadsides, gravel and sand, cultivated fields, parks. | Low woods, edges of swamps, stream banks, floodplains, hammocks, disturbed habitats. |
Elevation | 100–2000 m. (300–6600 ft.) | 0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AZ; CA; GA; MS; NM; TX; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora)
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AL; AR; AZ; CA; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NM; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WI; WV; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Australia]
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Discussion | Corollas of Physalis acutifolia are nearly rotate with a very short floral tube and somewhat reflexed, widely flaring limb when fully open. Unless it is in flower, P. acutifolia is difficult to distinguish from narrow-leaved P. angulata, which has corollas that are more campanulate-rotate, without a reflexed limb. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Fresh plants of Physalis pubescens reportedly have a strong fetid odor (M. Martínez 1998). This widespread species exhibits considerable variability in the character of the leaf margins and degree of indument. The fruits of P. pubescens are reportedly gathered for food. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | Solanaceae > Physalis | Solanaceae > Physalis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Saracha acutifolia, P. wrightii | P. barbadensis, P. barbadensis var. glabra, P. floridana, P. latiphysa, P. pubescens var. glabra, P. pubescens var. integrifolia, P. turbinata |
Name authority | (Miers) Sandwith: Kew Bull. 14: 232. (1960) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 183. (1753) |
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