Physalis pubescens
Family: Solanaceae
Plant Description: Annual to 50 cm or higher with ovate leaves 2-6 cm long, alternate. Flowers solitary, yellow, with 5 greenish-brown spots at the base of the petals. Stems usually lying on the ground, occasionally partially erect. Ours typically has 5-8 teeth on each side of leaf.
Plant Trivia: The genus name comes from the Greek physa, for “bladder,’ referring to the inflated calyx surrounding the fruit.
Field Identification: Low-growing. Anthers are bluish.
Occurrence: Fairly common in stream bottoms, coastal oak woods, or other low or damp grounds.
Bloom Period: April – December
Plant Use:
Key to the species of Physalis:
- Stems and leaves glabrous or nearly so………………………………………………2
Stems densely pubescent……………………………………………………………………….3
2. Corolla with dark spots near center………………………………….P. virginiana
Corolla without spots…………………………………………………………….P. angulata
3. Hairs simple, unbranched…………………………………………………….P. pubescens
Hairs mostly branched……………………………………………………………………………..4
4. Hairs uniform……………………………………………………………………….P. cinerascens
Hairs not uniform, those of lower stems and calyxes
much longer than those of leaves…………………………………………….P. mollis
stxflora 