Virginia groundcherry

(Physalis virginiana var. virginiana)

Conservation Status
Virginia groundcherry
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Virginia groundcherry is a 12 to 24 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises from a deep, horizontal, tough rhizome. It often forms colonies.

The stems are forked with ascending branches. The upper part of the stems are covered with short, stiff hairs that are bent backward, and no glandular hairs.

The leaves are alternate, thick, soft to the touch, stalked, egg-shaped to narrowly lance-shaped, 1¼ to 3 long, and 1½ to 2½ wide. They are broad and rounded or heart-shaped at the base, and taper to a point at the tip with straight sides along the tip. The margins have a few irregular teeth. The upper and lower surfaces have silky, appressed hairs as well as glandular hairs.

The inflorescence is single flowers nodding at the end of to ¾ long, hairy stalks (pedicels) rising from the leaf axils.

The flowers are ½ to ¾ long and wide. There are 5 pale yellow petals with purple to brown splotches near the center. They are fused into a bell-shaped corolla with 5 shallow lobes.

The fruit is a ½ spherical, berry, green at first, turning orange at maturity. It is enclosed in an inflated, papery, heart-shaped, 5-angled, ¾ long husk. The tip of the husk is mostly closed, and the base is sunken. The husk hangs from a to ¾ long pedicel. The berries are poisonous when green, edible when ripe.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 24

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Pale yellow with purple to brown centers

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Clammy groundcherry (Physalis heterophylla) is a taller plant, up to 36 at maturity. The upper stems are covered with both long, soft, shaggy hairs and sticky, glandular hairs. The leaves are broad, rounded or heart-shaped at the base,and clammy to the touch. The fruit is an yellow berry. The base of the husk is indented (this may be difficult to distinguish from the sunken base of Virginia groundcherry).

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry. Prairies, upland woods, fields.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

July to August

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/24/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Solanales (nightshades, bindweeds, gooseweeds, and allies)  
 

Family

Solanaceae (nightshade)  
  Subfamily Solanoideae (nightshades and allies)  
  Tribe Physaleae (groundcherries, lanterns, and allies)  
  Subtribe Physalinae  
 

Genus

Physalis (groundcherries)  
  Species Physalis virginiana (Virginia groundcherry)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Physalis intermedia

Physalis lanceolata

Physalis monticola

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

field groundcherry

lance-leaved ground-cherry

lanceleaf groundcherry

obedient plant

Virginia ground cherry

Virginia ground-cherry

Virginia groundcherry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Corolla

A collective name for all of the petals of a flower.

 

Glandular hairs

Hairs spread over aerial vegetation that secrete essential oils. The oils act to protect against herbivores and pathogens or, when on a flower part, attract pollinators. The hairs have a sticky or oily feel.

 

Pedicel

On plants: the stalk of a single flower in a cluster of flowers. On insects: the second segment of the antennae. On Hymenoptera and Araneae: the narrow stalk connecting the thorax to the abdomen: the preferred term is petiole.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    Virginia groundcherry   Virginia groundcherry  
           
    Virginia groundcherry      
           
 

Flower

 
    Virginia groundcherry   Virginia groundcherry  
           
    Virginia groundcherry      
           
 

Leaf

 
    Virginia groundcherry      
           
 

Stem

 
    Virginia groundcherry      
           
 

Fruit

 
    Virginia groundcherry   Virginia groundcherry  
           
    Virginia groundcherry   Virginia groundcherry  

 

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Other Videos
 
  Weed of the Week #841 - Virginia Groundcherry (Air Date 5/18/14)
AgPhD's channel
 
   
 
About

Published on May 21, 2014

It's our Weed of the Week, Virginia Groundcherry.

   

 

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Created 10/17/2004

Last Updated:

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