Kingdom Plantae Family Solanaceae Scientific name Physalis viscosa | Order Solanales Genus Physalis Rank Species | |
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Similar Physalis hederifolia, Physalis virginiana, Physalis walteri, Physalis angustifolia, Physalis acutifolia | ||
Physalis viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by many common names, including starhair groundcherry, stellate ground-cherry and grape groundcherry in English, and arrebenta-cavalo, balãozinho, and camambú in Portuguese. It is native to South America, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It can grow in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas.
This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing hairy stem up to about 40 centimeters in maximum height. The oval leaves are 3 to 5 centimeters long and have smooth or toothed edges. The flowers blooming from the leaf axils are bell-shaped and about 1.5 centimeters wide. They are yellow with darker centers, and have five stamens tipped with yellow anthers. The calyx of sepals at the base of the flower enlarges as the fruit develops, becoming an inflated, ribbed, lanternlike structure 2 to 3 centimeters long which contains the berry.