Smooth Ground-Cherry

Nightshade or potato (Solanaceae family):

Physalis longifolia Nutt.

EPPO code:

PHYSU

Other names:

Longleaf groundcherry, ground-cherry, husk-tomato, Japanese lantern

Species information

Lifecycle:

Perennial.

Propagation:

Smooth ground-cherry reproduces by seed and by deeply penetrating and spreading roots. Dispersal of root fragments after cultivation will increase its spread. Ontario studies demonstrate that root fragments left on the soil’s surface do not regenerate and that shallow burial of root fragments at 5 cm depths result in the fastest regeneration. Tillage timed at fruit dispersal results in the least regeneration of root fragments (Abdullahi and Cavers, 1997).

Range and habitat:

Smooth ground-cherry is most commonly found in southern Ontario, usually on well-drained coarse soils.

Toxicity:

Although the leaves and unripe fruit contain the solanine alkaloid, accounts of toxicity vary from “poisonous and even fatal if ingested” (Ohio State University Extension, 2015) to “cause gastroenteritis and diarrhea when ingested” (Government of Canada, 2015). The ripe fruit has been used for making preserves (Government of Canada, 2015).

Identification clues

Leaves

Cotyledons:

Elongated , wider at the base, with a medium length stalk.

Young leaves:

The plant’s young leaves are alternate and grow on long petioles. Leaves are oval, pointed at the tip, smooth and have entire margins.

Mature leaves:

Smooth ground-cherry’s mature leaves are alternate, grow on long petioles and are smooth. They have wavy toothed margins. The mature leaves of smooth ground- cherry’s are not as wide as those of clammy ground-cherry.

Mature plant

Stem:

The plant’s stem is hairless, erect and grows 20–90 cm in height. It is branched at the top.

Flowers:

Smooth ground-cherry has yellow flowers with five petals that are fused together to form a trumpet-like, bell-shaped flower with a purplish center.

Fruit:

Its flowers are papery, hairy and round with a pointed tip. Reminiscent of a Japanese lantern, the flower contains a small, round and green berry that turns yellow when ripe.

Roots:

Deeply penetrating and spreading fibrous roots.

Often mistaken for

I know it's not Clammy ground-cherry because smooth ground-cherry is hairless compared to the hairy and sticky- to-clammy texture of clammy ground-cherry.