Physalis virginiana

Illustrator: Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, stout, hispid, hairs simple, jointed, divergent, mostly 1 mm, and retrorse, to 0.5 mm. Stems erect, branching infrequently and only at distal nodes, branches ascending, sometimes with multiple aerial stems arising from apex of rhizome, 1–4 dm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1/5–1/2 blade; blade ovate to broadly lanceolate, 2–7(–9) × 1–5(–6) cm, base truncate to obtuse or rounded, margins entire or coarsely to shallowly dentate with few teeth. Pedicels (6–)9–19(–27) mm, 12–30(–33) mm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 6–12(–14) mm, lobes 3–6 mm; corolla yellow with 5 dark purple-brown-black smudges, campanulate-rotate, 9–17(–20) mm; anthers yellow or blue-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 2–3 mm. Fruiting calyces loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, pyramidal, narrowing to lobes, 20–40 × 15–30 mm. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Oct.
Habitat: Sandy soils, prairies, fields, thickets, pine-oak-hickory woodlands, gravelly pinyon-juniper slopes, disturbed habitats, sandy or gravelly road­sides, cultivated ground, waste places, along railroads.
Elevation: 50–2500 m.

Distribution

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Man., Ont., Ala., Ark., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Physalis virginiana occurs primarily in the Midwest and central plains states and southern and eastern Canadian prairies. It is found sporadically in disturbed habitats in the eastern United States and on wooded, gravelly slopes in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In Manitoba, the fruits of P. virginiana are gathered and preserved (canned) for winter use.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.