NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. Solanacese. 



A branching and erect-stemmed species, 



mostly smooth. The ovate lance-shaped 

 Ground Cherry . * . ^ , 



Physalis leaves tapering toward both ends very 



Virginiana slightly shallow-toothed and light green. 

 Pale yellow The flower dull pale yellow with five brown- 



J"ly- purple spots ; anthers deep yellow. The 



September \. r 



stigma matures before the anthers, and 



extends beyond them. Fertilized by the honeybee and 

 the bees of the genus Halictus ; Halictus pectinatus is a 

 common visitor (Prof. Robertson). The reddish berry 

 enclosed within the enlarged calyx. 1-3 feet high. 

 Rich soil, Vt. and N. Y., south to La., and west to Minn. 

 Physalis pubescens, the strawberry tomato, is downy, 

 with angular leaves. The flower light green-yellow, 

 brown-spotted at the throat, with violet anthers. Fruit 

 green-yellow. Escaped from cultivation eastward. 



A rank-smelling annual weed with a 

 Thorn Apple smooth, green, stout stem, and thin ovate, 



oTjfms7n Wn acute ' an S ularl y coarse-toothed leaves, 

 Weed slim-stemmed. The white trumpet-shaped 



Datura flowers about 4 inches long, with a light 



Stramonium green calyx less than half the length of 



the corolla, which has five sharp-pointed 

 September lobes. The green fruit -capsule, ovoid, 



about 2 inches long, and covered with 

 stout prickles, the longest of which are at the tip of the 

 capsule. 1-5 feet high. In waste places and vacant 

 city lots, from Me., south, and west to Minn, and Tex. 

 Naturalized from Asia. 



A similar species with a slenderer stem, 

 Purple Thorn an( j Barker green leaves both more or less 

 Datura Tatula stained with magenta. Flowers like those 

 Magenta*. of the preceding species, but the flaring 



lavender tips of the corolla stained with magenta or 



lavender, or the tube nearly white. All 



the prickles of the capsule nearly equal in 

 length. 1-5 feet high. In waste places from Vt., N. Y., 

 and Minn., southward. Datura Metel, a native of Tro- 

 pical America, has white trumpetlike flowers 6-7 inches 

 long and ovate leaves toothless or nearly so. Capsule 

 evenly prickled. A garden escape in waste places. 



414 



