Physalis crassifolia
Physalis pumila
thick leaf ground cherry, yellow nightshade groundcherry
dwarf groundcherry
erect, branching from near base and at most nodes, branches widely spreading, distinctly zigzag, slender, 1–4(–10) dm.
erect to decumbent, branching at most nodes or infrequently and only at distal nodes, branches ascending, 1.5–4 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 1/10–2/5 blade;
blade elliptic-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 3–8(–10) × 2–4(–5) cm, base rounded to attenuate and narrowing to petiole, margins entire to sinuate, rarely shallowly, irregularly sinuate-dentate.
8–24(–33) mm, (11–)14–30(–35) mm in fruit.
hispid, 8–46 mm, 15–55 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 6–12 mm, lobes 2.5–6 mm;
corolla yellow with pale brown, ochre, or green tinge or smudges, campanulate-rotate, 9–17 mm;
anthers yellow, rarely blue-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–3 mm.
loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 14–30(–40) × (10–)15–20(–25) mm.
loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 20–40 × 15–30 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Physalis crassifolia
Physalis pumila
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.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Varieties hispida and pumila are quite distinctive in the field but are often difficult to distinguish in the herbarium.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems erect; plants hispid throughout, hairs simple and 2- or 3-branched. | var. pumila |
1. Stems erect to decumbent; plants hispid on pedicels and calyx, hairs simple, rarely with a few branched hairs. | var. hispida |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
