pygmy groundcherry
Physalis minima L.
Physalis minima L., commonly known as pygmy groundcherry, is an annual herbaceous plant in the Solanaceae family. It features dark green, ovate leaves with serrated edges and pale yellow, five-lobed flowers. The fruit is yellow-orange and enclosed in an inflated calyx. The plant's native range is uncertain, with possible origins in Australia, the Americas, or both. It is now naturalized in tropical and subtropical regions globally.
Description
Physalis minima L., known as pygmy groundcherry, is an erect annual herb in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The plant has dark green, ovate leaves with serrated margins and produces pale yellow, five-sided flowers. Its fruits are yellow-orange and enclosed in a balloon-like calyx. The species' native range is not definitively known, with suggestions of endemism in Australia or the Americas, or a shared native range in both regions. It is now widely naturalized in tropical and subtropical climates around the world.
Other common names
pygmy groundcherry
Synonyms
Physalis diffusaPhysalis minimaPhysalis paraguariensisPhysalis minima var. minimaPhysalis pubescensPhysalis minima f. minima
