Clammy groundcherry

Description

Physalis heterophylla, colloquial name clammy groundcherry, is a herbaceous plant that is a member of the family Solanaceae. It is native to North America, occurring primarily in the eastern United States and Canada. It is known to occur in all contiguous states except for Nevada and California. It is found mainly in habitats such as dry or mesic prairies, gravel hills and rises, sandy or rocky soils, and waste places such as roadsides. Physalis heterophylla is a perennial, and is one of the taller-growing North American members of the genus, reaching a height up to 50 cm. The leaves are alternate, with petioles up to 1.5 cm, ovate in shape, usually cordate at the base (this is especially true of mature leaves), 6–11 cm long at maturity. Each member of the genus Physalis has at least one characteristic that makes it easy to differentiate in the field. For P. heterophylla, the stems and leaves are glandularly pubescent, giving it the "clammy" feel from which its name is derived. The plant also has distinctive thick rhizomes that run horizontal to the stem.