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cypresshead groundcherry

field groundcherry

Habit Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, slender, typically also with shallowly buried, slender rhizomes, glabrous to villous, hairs simple, antrorse, to 1 mm, sometimes also with simple, jointed, divergent hairs, 1–2 mm, sometimes glandular. Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, stout, often also with shallowly buried, slender rhizomes, densely pubescent, hairs dendroid-stelliform, to 1 mm, obscuring plant surface on younger growth, occasionally also jointed, branched or simple, 2–4 mm, glandular or eglandular.
Stems

erect, few-branched, 0.5–3 dm.

erect, branching occasionally, branches ascending, 1.5–5 dm.

Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 1/4–2/3 blade;

blade ovate to suborbiculate, 1.5–6(–6.5) × 1–5 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins entire or coarsely, irregularly dentate with few teeth.

petiolate;

petiole 1/3–4/5 blade;

blade ovate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–6(–7) cm, base truncate, margins coarsely dentate or irregular to ± entire.

Pedicels

(8–)11–17(–25) mm, 15–30(–35) mm in fruit.

10–25(–35) mm, 20–40(–52) mm in fruit.

Flowers

calyx 6–12 mm, villous, lobes 2–5 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 pale reddish-brown smudges or not, campanulate-rotate, 10–17 mm;

anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 2.5–4 mm.

calyx 6–10(–12) mm, lobes 2.5–5.5 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 pale to dark brown smudges or dark purple-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 9.5–15(–17) mm;

anthers yellow, rarely blue- or purple-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 3–4 mm.

Fruiting calyces

loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 20–35 × 15–25 mm.

loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 25–40(–50) × 15–35 mm.

2n

= 24.

Physalis arenicola

Physalis mollis

Phenology Flowering year-round in areas without frost.
Habitat Sandy soil, pine-oak woods, hammocks, fields, pastures, road­sides.
Elevation 0–50 m. (0–200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; MS
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
sc United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Physalis arenicola is found throughout Florida; only a few records exist from the other states in its range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Plants eglandular; corolla with pale to dark brown smudges.
var. mollis
1. Plants glandular; corolla with deep purple-black spots.
var. variovestita
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Physalis Solanaceae > Physalis
Sibling taxa
P. acutifolia, P. angulata, P. angustifolia, P. caudella, P. cinerascens, P. cordata, P. crassifolia, P. fendleri, P. grisea, P. hederifolia, P. heterophylla, P. lanceolata, P. longifolia, P. missouriensis, P. mollis, P. neomexicana, P. philadelphica, P. pubescens, P. pumila, P. solanacea, P. virginiana, P. walteri, P. ×elliottii
P. acutifolia, P. angulata, P. angustifolia, P. arenicola, P. caudella, P. cinerascens, P. cordata, P. crassifolia, P. fendleri, P. grisea, P. hederifolia, P. heterophylla, P. lanceolata, P. longifolia, P. missouriensis, P. neomexicana, P. philadelphica, P. pubescens, P. pumila, P. solanacea, P. virginiana, P. walteri, P. ×elliottii
Subordinate taxa
P. mollis var. mollis, P. mollis var. variovestita
Synonyms P. arenicola var. ciliosa, P. ciliosa P. viscosa subsp. mollis
Name authority Kearney: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 21: 485. (1894) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 194. (1836)
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