Vol. III.] 



POTATO FAMILY. 



131 



Physalis heterophylla ambigua (A. Gray) Rydberg, Mem. Torr. Club, 4: 349. 1896. 

 Physalis Virginica var. ambigua A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 10: 65. 1874. 

 Physalis Virginiana var. ambigua A. Gray, Syn. Fl. 2: Part 1, 235. 1878. 

 Physalis ambigua Britton, Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 287. 1895. 



Tall and generally upright, very long-villous, scarcely at all viscid; flowers commonly larger; 

 anthers mostly purplish. Vermont to Iowa and Tennessee. 



Physalis heterophylla nyctaginea (Dunal) Rydberg; Chapman, Fl. S. States, Ed. 3, 324. 1897. 

 Physalis obscura Torr. Fl. N. & M. U. S. 233. 1824. Not Michx. 1803. 

 Physalis nyctaginea Dunal in DC. Prodr. 13: Part 1, 440. 1852. 



Leaves usually dark green and of a firm texture, more or less acuminate at the apex, often sub 

 entire, and pubescent mainly on the veins of the lower surface. Rhode Island to Iowa and Louisiana. 



Physalis Peruviana L. , a native of South America, is cultivated for its fruit in all warm and 

 temperate regions, and often escapes. It resembles P. heterophylla, but differs in the leaves, which 

 have a long distinct acumination, and in the pubescence, which is shorter, denser, and not at all 

 viscid. Known as Cape Gooseberry, Strawberry Tomato, Peruvian Ground Cherry and Husk 

 Tomato. 



15. Physalis comata Rydberg. Hillside Ground-Cherry. (Fig. 3204.) 



Physalis comata Rydberg, Bull. Torr. Club, 22: 306. 

 1895. 



Perennial, erect, about 1% high; pubescence 

 fine and short, that on the calyx, peduncles and 

 upper branches mixed with long white flat jointed 

 hairs. Like P. heterophylla Nees {P. Virginiana 

 Gray, not Mill. ), but leaves smaller, blade not over 

 2' long, round-ovate, scarcely at all cordate at the 

 base, about 2' long, thin, somewhat repand-dentate, 

 or nearly entire; petioles as long as the leaves; 

 peduncles as long as the fruiting calyx, or longer; 

 corolla greenish yellow, with brown center, 6 // -io // 

 in diameter; fruiting calyx of thin texture, round- 

 ovoid, somewhat 10-angled, scarcely sunken at the 

 base. 



Hillsides of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Texas. 

 Rare. 



16. Physalis rotundata Rydberg. Round-leaved Ground- Cherry. 



(Fig. 3205.) 



Physalis hederaefolia Holzinger, Cont. U. S. Nat. 

 Heib. 1: 212. 1892. Not Gray. 



Physalis rotundata Rydberg, Mem. Torr. Club, 4: 

 352. 1896. 



Diffuse and spreading, zigzag, generally dicho- 

 tomously much branched, from a perennial 

 rootstock, densely and finely viscid-pubescent, 

 usually more glandular than the preceding. 

 Leaves nearly orbicular with more or less cordate 

 base, i / -i% / in diameter, with small teeth; peti- 

 oles short, more or less winged; peduncles short, 

 in fruit scarcely more than half the length of the 

 calyx; corolla 8" in diameter, greenish yellow 

 with a brownish center; fruiting calyx ovoid, 

 slightly angled, scarcely sunken at the base. 



Dry plains, South Dakota to Texas and New Mex- 

 ico. July-Sept. 



