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smallflower groundcherry

field groundcherry

Habit Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, stout, sparsely to ± densely pubescent, hairs dendroid-stelliform, to 1 mm. 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 to decumbent, branching at most nodes, proximal branches spreading and decumbent, 0.5–5 dm.

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

Leaves

sessile or petiolate;

petiole 1/5 to as long as blade;

blade orbiculate to broadly ovate or elliptic to spatulate, 1.5–8(–9) × 1–6(–8) cm, base truncate to attenuate, margins coarsely dentate, sinuate, or entire.

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

10–33 mm, 15–60 mm in fruit.

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

Flowers

calyx (3.5–)5–9 mm, lobes 1.5–4 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 dark purple-black spots, campanulate-rotate, (8–)10–16 mm;

anthers yellow, rarely purple-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 2–5 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, 15–35(–45) × 10–35 mm.

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

Physalis cinerascens

Physalis mollis

Distribution
from USDA
c United States; sc United States; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
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from USDA
sc United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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. Leaf blades orbiculate to broadly ovate, 1–6(–8) cm wide, base truncate to slightly attenuate, margins dentate, sinuate, or entire; corolla limbs reflexed when fully open.
var. cinerascens
1. Leaf blades elliptic to spatulate, 1–4 cm wide, base attenuate, margins entire; corolla limbs not reflexed when fully open.
var. spathulifolia
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. arenicola, P. caudella, 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. cinerascens var. cinerascens, P. cinerascens var. spathulifolia
P. mollis var. mollis, P. mollis var. variovestita
Synonyms P. pensylvanica var. cinerascens, P. viscosa var. cinerascens P. viscosa subsp. mollis
Name authority (Dunal) Hitchcock: Key Spring Fl. Manhattan, 32. (1894) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 194. (1836)
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