Physalis crassifolia
Physalis hederifolia
thick leaf ground cherry, yellow nightshade groundcherry
ivy leafed tomatillo, ivyleaf groundcherry
erect, branching from near base and at most nodes, branches widely spreading, distinctly zigzag, slender, 1–4(–10) dm.
erect to decumbent, usually branching from base and at most nodes, branches spreading, 0.5–3 dm.
petiolate;
petiole mostly as long as blade;
blade broadly ovate to deltate, 0.8–3.3(–4.5) × 0.8–3.3(–4.5) cm, base cordate, sometimes slightly unequal, margins entire to unevenly coarsely dentate, sometimes thick and slightly succulent.
petiolate;
petiole 1/2 to ± as long as blade;
blade broadly ovate to orbiculate, 1.5–3.5 × 1–3 cm, base cordate to rounded, margins ± entire or coarsely dentate, teeth sharp to blunt.
8–24(–33) mm, (11–)14–30(–35) mm in fruit.
4–8(–13) mm, 5–15 mm in fruit.
calyx (3–)4–7(–8) mm, lobes 1–3 mm;
corolla pale yellow with yellow or greenish-brown smudges or tinge, campanulate-rotate, 8–14 mm;
anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 1.5–3 mm.
calyx 5–7(–10) mm, lobes 1.5–3.5(–5) mm;
corolla yellow with 5 dark brown spots, campanulate-rotate, 7–12 mm;
anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 2–4 mm.
loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 14–30(–40) × (10–)15–20(–25) mm.
loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 20–30 × 15–25(–30) mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Physalis crassifolia
Physalis hederifolia
In Physalis crassifolia, the corolla limb is widely flaring and reflexed when the flower is fully open, and the flowers are more nodding than fully pendent. Some herbarium specimen labels indicate that plants flower the first year. Physalis greenei Vasey & Rose, not validly published, has been misapplied to some representatives of P. crassifolia. Physalis crassifolia is widespread in Arizona, but it is restricted in California to south-southeastern counties as far north as Inyo, in Nevada to Clark and Lincoln counties, and in Utah to Washington County.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In Physalis hederifolia, the corolla limb is reflexed at maturity. This is a widespread species of the southwestern United States and the Great Plains (as far west as southern California and southeastern Nevada, and east into the western half of Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas). Several varieties have been recognized based primarily on indument characters, but these features vary considerably over the range of the species. Plants from the more southern part of the range tend to have shorter hairs and to be more densely glandular; plants from northern Oklahoma and New Mexico northward tend to have longer hairs. All are clearly distinguishable from P. fendleri, which is eglandular, typically has forked or few-branched hairs, a distinctive leaf shape, and corollas with greenish-brownish smudges rather than distinct brown spots.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
KS Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
