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hairy ground-cherry, husk tomato

Habit Herbs annual, taprooted, ± glabrous to villous, hairs simple, jointed, glandular and eglandular, of varying lengths, all shorter than 0.5 mm, plants from southwestern United States all glandular, green in appearance when dry. Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizome stout, pubescent, hairs simple, forked, or 3-branched, to 0.5 mm, most branching at base and branches appressed to surface, giving plants a grayish appearance.
Stems

erect, branching at most nodes, branches spreading, 0.5–8 dm.

erect, usually branching from base and most nodes, branches spreading, 0.5–5 dm.

Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 1/5 to as long as blade;

blade broadly ovate to orbiculate, (1.6–)2.5–8(–9.5) × (1–)2–7 cm, base rounded to slightly cordate, margins entire or coarsely dentate, teeth fewer than 8 per side.

petiolate;

petiole 1/3–2/3 blade;

blade ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 1–5.5 × 1–3.5 cm, base deltate-truncate to slightly cordate, sometimes unequal, margins sinuate to coarsely and irregularly dentate, teeth few, sometimes only 1 tooth per side near base.

Pedicels

slender, 3.5–9 mm, 5–15 mm in fruit.

3–11(–17) mm, 10–15(–20) mm in fruit.

Flowers

calyx 3–6(–7) mm, lobes 1–3.5 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 large, dark purple-brown-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 6–11 mm;

anthers blue, rarely yellow or blue-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–2 mm.

calyx 5–8 mm, lobes 2–4 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 greenish to brown smudges, campanulate-rotate, (7–)10–12 mm;

anthers yellow or purple-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 1.5–3 mm.

Fruiting calyces

loosely enclosing berry, sharply 5-angled, 20–35 × 15–25(–30) mm, always noticeably longer than wide.

loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 17–30(–35) × 15–25 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Physalis pubescens

Physalis fendleri

Phenology Flowering year-round in areas without frost, mostly May–Oct. Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Low woods, edges of swamps, stream banks, floodplains, hammocks, disturbed habitats. Rocky to sandy soil, loose slopes, pinyon-juniper-ponderosa zones.
Elevation 0–900 m. [0–3000 ft.] 1300–2300 m. [4300–7500 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NM; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WI; WV; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; Mexico (Baja California, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
Discussion

Fresh plants of Physalis pubescens reportedly have a strong fetid odor (M. Martínez 1998). This widespread species exhibits considerable variability in the character of the leaf margins and degree of indument. The fruits of P. pubescens are reportedly gathered for food.

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

In Physalis fendleri, the corolla limb is reflexed at maturity. Some populations in New Mexico have mostly retrorse, and very few branched, hairs. In the flora area, P. fendleri can be found as far west as southern California, northward into southern Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, and eastward into western Oklahoma and Texas.

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

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. mollis, P. neomexicana, P. philadelphica, 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. 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
Synonyms P. barbadensis, P. barbadensis var. glabra, P. floridana, P. latiphysa, P. pubescens var. glabra, P. pubescens var. integrifolia, P. turbinata P. fendleri var. cordifolia, P. hederifolia var. cordifolia, P. hederifolia var. fendleri
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 183. (1753) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 66. (1874)
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