Physalis angulata

Herbs annual, taprooted, gla­brous or sparsely pubescent, hairs simple, jointed, to 0.5 mm. Stems erect (angulate, at least proximally), branching at most nodes, branches spread­ing, 1–20 dm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1/3–2/3 blade; blade narrowly elliptic-ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3–10(–14) × 1–8 cm, base rounded to attenuate, margins coarsely, deeply, irregularly dentate, teeth acuminate. Pedicels 7–17(–22) mm, 15–30 mm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 3–5 mm, sparsely hairy or glabrous except for margins, lobes 1–3 mm; corolla yellow, without spots or smudges or rarely tinged purple, campanulate-rotate, 6–10 mm; anthers blue or blue-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 1–3 mm. Fruiting calyces loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 20–40 × 15–25 mm. 2n = 24, 48.

Phenology: Flowering year-round in areas without frost, mostly Jun–Nov.
Habitat: Hardwood and pine woods, woodland bor­ders, stream margins, floodplains, marshy areas, fields, pastures, waste places.
Elevation: 0–1600 m.

Distribution

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Ont., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Conn., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Miss., Mo., N.Mex., N.C., Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., Mexico, West Indies, Bermuda, Central America, South America, introduced in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Populations of Physalis angulata with linear to lanceolate, sinuate leaf blades can be found in Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. When not in flower, narrow-leaved P. angulata is difficult to distinguish from P. acutifolia. The latter species has nearly rotate, widely flaring corollas that are pale yellow to nearly white with a green or yellow star-shaped tinge in the throat.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.