Physalis pubescens |
Physalis missouriensis |
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hairy ground-cherry, husk tomato |
Missouri groundcherry |
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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 |
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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 |
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]
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AR; KS; MO; NE; OK |
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 | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
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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