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Physalis
See list of 8 species in this genusPhysalis hederifolia Gray var. hederifolia was reported from RI and VT by Kartesz (1999), but specimens are unknown. Physalis lanceolata Michx. was reported from NH by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. This species is endemic to the southeastern United States and was likely reported from New England based on misapplication of names by the authors. Physalis peruviana L. was reported from MA by Sorrie and Somers (1999). The specimen on which this record rests was cultivated— Kidder s.n. ( NEBC!). References: Waterfall (1958), Sullivan (2004).
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1a. Plants annual from a taproot; corolla 4–10 mm long or up to 15 mm long in P. philadelphica; flowering calyx 3–7 (–10) mm long
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2a. Apical half of stem villous or viscid-villous; leaf blades villous
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3a. Stems, young growth, and major veins of the leaf blades provided with villous pubescence intermixed with sessile glands [Fig. 912]; leaf blades gray-green, coarsely dentate to the base, with conspicuous reticulate venation (note: most visible on the abaxial surface), frequently drying orange or with orange spots; anthers yellow, sometimes tinged with blue; fruiting calyx ± as long as broad; mature berry orange to brown-orange
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3b. Stems, young growth, and major veins of leaf blades with fine, non-viscid pubescence; leaf blades green, entire to obscurely dentate and then the teeth often confined to the distal half of the blade, without conspicuous reticulate venation, drying green or brown; anthers blue to purple; fruiting calyx longer than broad; mature berry green
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2b. Apical half of stem glabrous or sparsely strigillose; leaf blades glabrous or essentially so
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4a. Corolla yellow, with or without 5 dark spots, 4–10 mm long; anthers 1–2.3 mm long, not or scarcely twisted after dehiscence; berry yellow, 8–11 mm wide; flowering calyx 3–5 mm long
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4b. Corolla yellow with a 5 dark spots near the center, 7–15 mm long; anthers mostly 2.5–4 mm long, strongly twisted after dehiscence; berry usually purple or purple-streaked, 12–40 mm wide; flowering calyx 5–7 (–10) mm long
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1b. Plants perennial from rhizomes; corolla 10–20 mm long; flowering calyx (4–) 6–12 (–15) mm long
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5a. Corolla white, with 5 evident lobes; fruiting calyx bright red
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5b. Corolla yellow, often with 5 purple spots within, scarcely lobed [Fig. 913]; fruiting calyx green or yellow, or becoming brown in drying
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6a. Apical half of the stem pubescent and often other parts of the plant pubescent with stipitate-glands intermixed with short, eglandular hairs and longer, eglandular, multicellular hairs; leaf blades ovate to rhombic, broad-rounded to cordate at the base
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6b. Apical half of the stem pubescent entirely (or nearly entirely) with eglandular hairs of various lengths, these often short, stiff, appressed or decurved hairs; leaf blades narrow-lanceolate to ovate, narrow-cuneate to broad-cuneate at the base
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7a. Pubescence of the stem mostly appressed; connate portion of the calyx pubescent in 10 vertical strips along the nerves with minute, appressed hairs up to 0.5 mm long; anthers 3–4 mm long; berry yellow
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7b. Pubescence of the stem mostly decurved; connate portion of the calyx pubescent throughout with long, spreading hairs usually 0.5–1.5 mm long; anthers 2–3 mm long; berry orange-red
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Each photo represents one species in this genus.