Physalis acutifolia (Miers) Sandwith
Family: Solanaceae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

Physalis wrightii A. Gray

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

Wright groundcherry

Primary Disseminule Types

fruit with attached calyx (not likely to be dispersed directly to grape bunches), seed

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Disseminule a yellowish to orange or purple berry enclosed in a papery husk (enlarged calyx) with numerous seeds. Husk loose, ovoid to globose, 20–25 mm long, green with 10 darker, ribbed, ± equal veins.

Seed reniform to obovate in outline, typically notched along margin where hilum occurs, strongly compressed, cross-section narrowly elliptic, 1.8–2.4 mm long x 1.6–2 mm wide x 0.4–0.7 mm thick. Surface sparkly (under magnification), a maze of minute undulating ridges, yellowish to light brown (slightly darker near hilum).

Hilum marginal, in notch, linear to elliptic, typically whitish (lighter than testa), 0.4–0.5 mm long.

Similar Species

Compare to Similar Species of Lycium & Physalis and Similar Species of Solanum.

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, NZBORIC, NZBPI