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hairy ground-cherry, husk tomato

Missouri groundcherry

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, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs simple, jointed, glandular and eglandular, to 0.5 mm.
Stems

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

erect, branching at most nodes, branches spreading, 1.5–5.5 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 2/5 to as long as blade;

blade broadly ovate to orbiculate, 2.5–5.5 × 1.5–5 cm, base rounded, sometimes truncate, margins irregularly, shallowly crenate-dentate.

Pedicels

slender, 3.5–9 mm, 5–15 mm in fruit.

4–7 mm, 5–10 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 2.5–4 mm, densely glandular-pubescent, lobes 1–2 mm;

corolla yellow, without spots or smudges, campanulate-rotate, 5–7 mm;

anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–1.5 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, 10–20 × 10–20 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Physalis pubescens

Physalis missouriensis

Phenology Flowering year-round in areas without frost, mostly May–Oct. Flowering Jun–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat Low woods, edges of swamps, stream banks, floodplains, hammocks, disturbed habitats. Rocky bluffs, dolomite ledges, cliffs, wooded slopes and stream banks primarily on the Ozark Plateau.
Elevation 0–900 m. [0–3000 ft.] 50–500 m. [160–1600 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
AR; KS; MO; NE; OK
[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 missouriensis is uncommon and most easily confused with P. pubescens, from which it can be distinguished by its unspotted corolla and ten-ribbed fruiting calyx.

(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. grisea, P. hederifolia, P. heterophylla, P. lanceolata, P. longifolia, 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. missouriensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 183. (1753) Mackenzie & Bush: Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 12: 84. (1902)
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