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hairy ground-cherry, husk tomato

downy ground-cherry, hairy groundcherry, low hairy ground cherry, strawberry-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 annual, taprooted, villous, hairs simple, jointed, 0.5–1 mm, intermixed with stalked glands to 0.5 mm and sessile glands.
Stems

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

erect, branching at most nodes, branches spreading, 1–6 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 2/5–4/5 blade;

blade gray-green, drying orange or with orange patches, broadly ovate, 3.5–11 × 2.5–10 cm, base broadly rounded to slightly cordate, margins coarsely dentate with fewer than 10 teeth per side.

Pedicels

slender, 3.5–9 mm, 5–15 mm in fruit.

4–6 mm, 5–12 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 3–5 mm, short-pubescent, lobes 1.5–2.5 mm;

corolla yellow with 5 large, dark purple-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 5–8 mm;

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

Fruiting calyces

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

loosely enclosing berry, sharply 5-angled, 20–35 × 15–25 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Physalis pubescens

Physalis grisea

Phenology Flowering year-round in areas without frost, mostly May–Oct. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Low woods, edges of swamps, stream banks, floodplains, hammocks, disturbed habitats. Open areas, meadows, pastures, disturbed woodlands, stream bottoms, cultivated sites.
Elevation 0–900 m. [0–3000 ft.] 50–200 m. [160–700 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
AL; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MN; MO; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WV; BC; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Physalis grisea can be distinguished from P. pubescens by the often larger leaves that have a distinctive gray-green color and usually exhibit orange patches on drying. The orange-yellow fruit of P. grisea is sweet, and the species is offered in seed catalogs as “strawberry tomato.” Most herbarium specimens of P. grisea from outside of cultivation probably represent short-lived populations derived from garden escapes; the geographic distribution given here is likely to change over time (the only Oregon population is historical). The name P. pruinosa Linnaeus has been misapplied to P. grisea (M. Martínez 1993).

(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. fendleri, 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. pubescens var. grisea
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 183. (1753) (Waterfall) M. Martínez: Taxon 42: 104. (1993)
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