238 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XIV, No. 3, 



Physalis L. 



Herbs with entire or sinuately toothed leaves. Calyx cam- 



panulate, 5-toothed, when in fruit much enlarged and 5-angled or 



10-ribbed and reticulate, wholly enclosing the pulpy berry; 



corolla often with a brownish or purplish centre, open-campanulate, 



or rarely campanulate-rotate, plicate; stamens united with the 



base of the corolla. 



1. Stems glabrous or only slightly pubescent, pedimcles usually longer 

 than the flowers, leaves usually acute or acuminate at the base. 4. 



1. Stems very pubescent or wooly; peduncles usually shorter than the 



flowers; leaves usually shorter than the flowers; leaves usually 

 cordate or truncate at the base. 2. 



2. Leaves with long hairs, plants perennial; fruiting-calyx pyramidal, 



5-angled and with long points. P. heterophylla 



2. Leaves with short pubescence, plants annual; fruiting-calyx rather 



small, points very short. 3. 



3. Plant green, leaves ovate, usually only slightly cordate at the base, 



nearly entire or dentate. P. pruinosa. 



3. Plant somewhat hoary; leaves cordate at the base, strongly oblique, 



coarsely sinuate. P. puhescens. 



4. Leaves ovate-lanceolate; fruiting-calyx green. 5. 



4. Leaves broadly ovate, acute; fruiting-calyx red. P. alkekengi. 



5. Stem usually not 2-forked; leaves not decidedly dentate toward the 



tip; fruiting-calyx ovoid. 6. 



5. Stem noticeably 2-forked; main-stem erect; fruiting-calyx pyramidal, 



5-angled, deeply sunken at the base; leaves usually dentate at the 

 outer end. P. virginiana. 



6. Peduncles shorter than the flower; annual. P. ixocarpa. 



G. Peduncles longer than the flower; perennial by rootstocks or roots. 



P. lanceolata. 



1. Physalis lanceolata Mx. Prairie Ground-cherry. Plant 

 with slender, creeping root-stock. Young stems erect, later 

 spreading or diffuse, slightly angled, somewhat hirsute with flat 

 hairs; leaves mostly entire, sometimes slightly lobed, sparingly 

 covered with short hairs; calyx lobes triangular-lanceolate, when 

 in fruit round-ovoid, not sunken at the base, indistinctly 10- 

 angled; corolla dullish yellow with a brownish centre. General. 



2. Physalis ixocarpa Brot. Mexican Ground-cherry. When 

 young erect, later widely spreading; stem angled, glabrous or the 

 younger parts slightly hairy; lea\'es cordate to ovate with a cuneate 

 iDase, sinuately dentate or entire; calyx slightly hairy; corolla 

 bright yellow with purple throat; fruiting-calyx round ovoid, 

 obscurely 10-angled, often ])urijle veined; berry purple, filling the 

 husk. Franklin county. Nati\'e of Mexico. 



-J. Physalis virginiana Mill. Virginia Ground-cherry. Peren- 

 nial; about 14 inches high; stems slightly angled, strigose-hairy 

 with flat hairs, or glabrous; dichotomously branched; leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, usually sinuately dentate; peduncles in fruit 

 curved but scarcely reflexed; calyx lobes triangular or broadly 

 lanceolate, nearly equalling the tube; flowers sulphur-yellow with 

 purplish spots. Cu\'ahoga county. 



