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, peduncles 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, 
o-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. pubescens. 
4. Leaves ovate-lanceolate; fruiting-calyx green. 5. 
4. Leaves broadly ovate, acute; fruiting-calyx red. P. alkeketigi. 
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. 
6. 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; leaves cordate to ovate with a cuneate 
base, sinuately dentate or entire; calyx slightly hairy; corolla 
bright yellow with purple throat; fruiting-calyx round ovoid, 
obscurely 10-angled, often purple veined; berry purple, filling the 
husk. Franklin county. Native of Mexico. 
3. 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. Cuyahoga county. 
