Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Solanales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Physalis heterophylla
FAMILY
Solanaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Clammy Ground-cherry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
The most recognizable traits of these nightshade relatives are the spotted, solitary, bell-shaped yellow flowers and the inflated, papery husk surrounding the ripe berry. Learn more from the University of Kentucky herbarium's website.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Physalis heterophylla var. heterophylla
FAMILY
Solanaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Physalis heterophylla
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 165-03-002:
Physalis heterophylla FAMILY Solanaceae
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis ambigua
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis heterophylla
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis nyctaginea
COMMON NAME:
Clammy Ground-cherry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm200602_5568
June Spartanburg County SC
Dense hairs, 0.5 to about 3mm, usually glandular, give leaves a sticky feel, per the University of Kentucky's John W. Thieret Herbarium.
)
JK Marlow jkm200602_5570
June Spartanburg County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm200602_5574
June Spartanburg County SC
Broadly bell-shaped flowers, usually w brown or purplish blotches in throat, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_p_heterophylla_0072
July Iredell County NC
Flowers axillary, solitary, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_p_heterophylla_0074
July Iredell County NC
Invested w short hairs. Lvs ovate, rounded at base, w irregular large teeth, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_p_heterophylla_1
July Iredell County NC
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_p_heterophylla_1b
July Iredell County NC
Pubescence viscid, glandular trichomes usually mixed with short and long hairs, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4277
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4279
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
The calyx enlarges to become a parchmentlike husk enclosing the fruit, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4280
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4281
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
The berry is about 10mm in diameter, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4283
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm180828_4285
August Jackson County NC
Big Ridge Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm210914_3676
September Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm210914_3678b
September Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
Hairs divergent, simple, and may or may not be glandular (they usually are), per the University of Kentucky's John W. Thieret Herbarium.
)
JK Marlow jkm210914_3678c
September Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
Pretend you don't see the occasional *slightly* branched hairs, per the University of Kentucky's John W. Thieret Herbarium.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Physalis heterophylla
FAMILY
Solanaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Physalis heterophylla var. heterophylla
FAMILY
Solanaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Physalis heterophylla
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 165-03-002:
Physalis heterophylla
FAMILY
Solanaceae
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis ambigua
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis heterophylla
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Physalis nyctaginea
2025
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed areas, prairies, stream valleys, dry rocky woodlands, hammocks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Piedmont, uncommon in Mountains & Coastal Plain
Click here to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
Leaves have petioles.
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Yellow
Bisexual
Radially symmetrical
5-merous
5-lobed calyx
5-lobed campanulate to subrotate corolla
5 stamens
Superior ovary
Flowers solitary in leaf axils
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p204
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p250
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p085
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p337
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p197
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p234
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p150