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field groundcherry

Habit 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. Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, often also with slender, shallow rhizomes, glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs dendroid-stelliform, to 1 mm.
Stems

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

erect to decumbent, branching at most nodes, proximal branches spreading and decumbent, 0.5–3(–4) dm.

Leaves

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.

sessile or petiolate;

petiole to 1/10 blade;

blade narrowly spatulate to linear-lanceolate, 3–10(–12) × 0.2–1.5(–2) cm, base tapering to slightly winged petiole, margins entire.

Pedicels

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

10–27 mm, 15–35 mm in fruit.

Flowers

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.

calyx 5–10 mm, lobes 2–4 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 pale brown, ochre, or green spots or smudges, campanulate-rotate, 12–20 mm;

anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 2.5–3.5 mm.

Fruiting calyces

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

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

2n

= 24.

Physalis mollis

Physalis ×elliottii

Distribution
from USDA
sc United States
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Nothovarieties 2 (2 in the flora): Florida.

Physalis × elliottii, its parentage, and its nothovarieties were discussed in detail by J. R. Sullivan (1985, 2013).

(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
1. Plants sparsely to densely dendritic-pubescent.
Physalis × elliottii nothovar. elliottii
1. Plants glabrous except along leaf margins and calyx.
Physalis × elliottii nothovar. glabra
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. 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
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. mollis, P. neomexicana, P. philadelphica, P. pubescens, P. pumila, P. solanacea, P. virginiana, P. walteri
Subordinate taxa
P. mollis var. mollis, P. mollis var. variovestita
Physalis × elliottii nothovar. elliottii, Physalis × elliottii nothovar. glabra
Synonyms P. viscosa subsp. mollis P. viscosa var. elliottii
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 194. (1836) Kunze: Linnaea 20: 33. (1847) — as species
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