Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Solanales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Physalis pubescens
FAMILY
Solanaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Downy Ground-cherry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The most recognizable traits of these nightshade relatives are the spotted, solitary, bell-shaped yellow flowers and the inflated, papery husk surrounding the ripe berry. Learn more from the University of Kentucky herbarium's website.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens
FAMILY
Solanaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Physalis pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Physalis pubescens var. integrifolia
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 165-03-005a:
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens FAMILY Solanaceae
INCLUDING Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Physalis barbadensis var. barbadensis
INCLUDING Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis barbadensis
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis turbinata
COMMON NAME:
Downy Ground-cherry, Husk-tomato
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_phba6_001_lvd
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_phpr7_001_lvd
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Physalis pubescens
FAMILY
Solanaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens
FAMILY
Solanaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Physalis pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Physalis pubescens var. integrifolia
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 165-03-005a:
Physalis pubescens var. pubescens
FAMILY
Solanaceae
INCLUDING
Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Physalis barbadensis var. barbadensis
INCLUDING
Gray's Manual of Botany (Fernald, 1950)
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis barbadensis
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis pubescens
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis turbinata
3340
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
Leaves have petioles.
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed campanulate to subrotate corolla
5 stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Flowers solitary in leaf axils
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p337
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p234?
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p150?
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".