Physalis heterophylla

Physalis heterophylla
Photo by Ohio State Weed Lab, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Physalis
Species:	P. heterophylla
Binomial name
Physalis heterophylla Nees
Natural range of Physalis heterophylla from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Common name: clammy groundcherry

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Physalis heterophylla var. heterophylla; P. heterophylla var. ambigua (A. Gray) Rydberg; P. heterophylla var. clavipes Fernald; P. heterophylla var. nyctaginea (Dunal) Rydberg; P. heterophylla var. heterophylla; P. ambigua (A. Gray) Britton; P. nyctaginea Dunal

Description

"Annual or perennial, glabrous or pubescent herbs. Leaves petiolate, entire to coarsely dentate, the base tapered, subcordate or oblique. Flower axillary, solitary; the calyx tube expanding, papery and bluntly conical when mature, loosely enclosing the fruit. Corolla campanulate to subrotate, yellow, often with 5 dark spots in the base of the tube; stamens 5, erect, separate, anther yellow or blue, dehiscing by lateral slits berry somewhat mealy, 2-locular, globose." - Radford et al 1964

"Rhizomatous, often viscid perennial 2-9 dm tall. Stem pubescence of glandular trichomes mixed with both long and short nonglandular trichomes. Leaves widely ovate or oblanceolate to triangular or lanceolate, 3-11 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, sinuate-dentate or coarsely and irregularly dentate, rarely subentire, weakly cordate. Calyx 7-12 mm long, lobes triangular to lanceolate, shorter than the tube; corolla 10-18 mm long or broad, with 5 brownish basal spots; anthers yellow or rarely bluish, 3.5-4.5 mm long. Berry ca. 10 mm in diam., the fruiting calyx 2.5-3 cm long, about as broad." - Radford et al 1964

Ecology

Habitat

P. heterophylla has been documented to grow in calcareous coastal hardwood hammocks, drying sand bordering woods, upland sandhills and annually burned longleaf pineland (FSU Herbarium). It has also been observed growing in old biocontrol plots and a fallow quail food patch. It has been documented in moist sandy loam and in the loam soils of the Red Hills Region (FSU Herbarium). Associated species include longleaf pine (FSU Herbarium).

Phenology

P. heterophylla has been observed to bloom May through July (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: July 2015. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Andre F. Clewell, R. F. Doren, R. Komarek, J. M. Kane, Lisa Keppner. States and Counties:Florida: Calhoun, Leon, Nassau, Wakulla, Washington. Georgia: Thomas. Compiled by Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy.

Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 927. Print.