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Physalis pubescens

Species of fruit and plant

Alicabon barbadense (Jacq.) Raf.
Alkekengi procumbens Moench
Alkekengi villosa Moench
Boberella pubescens (L.) E.H.L.Krause
Physalis angustiloba Waterf.
Physalis barbadensis Jacq.
Physalis barbadensis var. obscura (Michx.) Rydb.
Physalis brasiliensis Sendtn.
Physalis decumbens Dunal
Physalis floridana Rydb.
Physalis foetens Poir.
Physalis foetidissima Lag.
Physalis heterophylla Colla
Physalis heterophylla var. timbo Dunal
Physalis hirsuta Dunal
Physalis hirsuta var. barbadensis (Jacq.) Dunal
Physalis hylophila Standl.
Physalis latiphysa Waterf.
Physalis miraflorensis Dunal
Physalis nodosa Lam.
Physalis obscura Michx.
Physalis obscura var. pubescens Pursh
Physalis petiolaris Rusby
Physalis pubescens var. hygrophila (Mart.) Dunal
Physalis pubescens var. minutifolia O.E.Schulz
Physalis ramosa Mill.
Physalis rothiana Nees
Physalis staminea Muhl. ex Nees
Physalis subulata Rydb.
Physalis surinamensis Miq.
Physalis turbinata Medik.
Physalis villosa Mill.
Physalis viscosa Elliott

Physalis pubescens is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by many common names, including husk tomato, low ground-cherry and hairy groundcherry in English, and muyaca and capulí in Spanish. It is native from Brazil, but also found in southern half of the United States, Mexico, Central and much of South America. It can be found elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It can grow in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas. This is an annual herb producing a glandular, densely hairy stem up to about 60 cm in maximum height from a taproot. The oval or heart-shaped leaves are 3-9 cm long and have smooth or toothed edges. The flowers blooming from the leaf axils are bell-shaped and about a centimeter long. They are yellow with five dark spots in the throats, and have five stamens tipped with blue anthers. The five-lobed calyx of sepals at the base of the flower enlarges as the fruit develops, becoming an inflated, ribbed, lanternlike structure 2-4 cm long which contains the berry.

Cultivation and use

The fruits can be harvested and ripened for a few weeks to be made into pie or jelly; unripe fruits and green parts of the plant are somewhat poisonous.

Members of the Toba-Pilagá culture of Gran Chaco consume the fruit raw. Toba-Pilagá children burst the fruits of Physalis pubescens var. hygrophila (Mart.) Dunal (a synonym of Physalis pubescens) when they are covered by the inflated calyx by placing it on the palm of the hand and striking it with the other hand in order to make noises as part of games.

References

. (2017). ["''Physalis pubescens'' L."](http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:195489-2#synonyms). *Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew*.
{{PLANTS
{{BSBI 2007
(2009). "Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods". [[Sterling Publishing.
(December 2013). "Ethnobotany of the Genus Physalis L. (Solanaceae) in the South American Gran Chaco". Candollea.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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physalis edible-fruits flora-of-southern-america flora-of-northern-america plants-described-in-1753 botanical-taxa-named-by-carl-linnaeus

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