Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Physalis hederifolia

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Solanaceae

Scientific name
  
Physalis hederifolia

Order
  
Solanales

Genus
  
Physalis

Rank
  
Species

Physalis hederifolia wwwfireflyforestcomimageswildflowersplantsPh

Similar
  
Physalis acutifolia, Physalis crassifolia, Physalis angustifolia, Physalis walteri, Physalis longifolia

Physalis hederifolia is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by the common name ivyleaf groundcherry. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it can be found in rocky, dry desert and mountain habitat. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a hairy, branching stem 10 to 80 centimeters long. The gray-green oval leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long and have smooth or bluntly toothed edges. The flowers growing from the leaf axils are bell-shaped and just over a centimeter long. They are yellow with five brown smudges in the throats. The five-lobed calyx of sepals at the base of the flower enlarges as the fruit develops, becoming an inflated, veined nearly spherical structure 2 or 3 centimeters long which contains the berry.

Physalis hederifolia FilePhysalis hederifolia var palmeri 5jpg Wikimedia Commons

There are several wild varieties of this species.

Uses

Physalis hederifolia Physalis hederifolia Ivyleaf Groundcherry Ivyleaf Ground Cherry

The Zuni people boil the fruit of the fendleri variety in small quantities of water, crush it and use it as a condiment.

Physalis hederifolia FilePhysalis hederifolia var palmeri 3jpg Wikimedia Commons

Physalis hederifolia Physalis hederifolia A Gray Checklist View

Physalis hederifolia FilePhysalis hederifolia var palmeri 1jpg Wikimedia Commons

Physalis hederifolia Physalis hederifolia Ivyleaf Groundcherry Ivyleaf Ground Cherry

Physalis hederifolia

References

Physalis hederifolia Wikipedia