Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes stout, sparsely pubescent, hairs simple, antrorse, to 0.5 mm, or simple, jointed, divergent, 1–1.5 mm. Stems decumbent or weakly ascending, infrequently branching, branches spreading and decumbent or parallel to ground, 2–4 dm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1/25–1/3 blade; blade oblanceolate, 4–10 × 2–6 cm, base attenuate, margins entire to slightly sinuate. Pedicels 10–20 mm, 10–30 mm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 6–10 mm, hispid, lobes 2–5 mm; corolla yellow with 5 pale brown smudges, campanulate-rotate, 10–15 mm; anthers yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, 2.5–3.5 mm. Fruiting calyces loosely enclosing to nearly filled by berry, 10-ribbed, 20–35 × 15–30 mm. 2n = 24.
Phenology: Flowering Apr–Sep.
Habitat: Dry to xeric pine-oak-grass communities of the Sandhills Region.
Elevation: 100–200 m.
Distribution
Ga., N.C., S.C.
Discussion
Physalis lanceolata occurs as populations of 1 to 20 plants scattered within suitable habit, notably where fire management is practiced. W. F. Hinton (1970, 1976) showed that P. lanceolata is not a hybrid and that the name had been misapplied to plants of the Great Plains.
Selected References
None.