Smooth groundcherry – Physalis longifolia var. subglabrata
Physalis longifolia Nutt. var. subglabrata (Mackenzie & Bush) Cronq.
Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
MI Status
Native
Life cycle
Erect, branching, rhizomatous perennial.
Leaves
Alternate, egg-, lance- to diamond-shaped with entire to toothed margins and long petioles. Leaves are smooth to slightly hairy.
Stems
Erect, branching, angled, up to 3-foot-tall herbaceous stems that become smooth and semi-woody with age.
Flowers and fruit
Flowers have five yellow to greenish yellow petals with purple centers, fused into a bell shape and found drooping and solitary in branch and leaf axils. Fruit are orange, red or purple, globe-shaped berries surrounded by a green, lantern shaped, papery bladder. Each fruit contains many flat, circular to kidney-shaped seeds.
Reproduction
Seeds and rhizomes.
Similar weeds
Apple of Peru
[Nicandra physalodes (L.) Gaertn.]
Differs by having an aggressive, annual habit, being up to 4 feet tall and having blue, upward facing, bell-shaped flowers.
Other Documents in this Series
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
MSU researcher awarded five-year, $2.5 million grant to develop risk assessment training program
Published on October 13, 2020
-
MSU Product Center helps Michigan food entrepreneurs survive and thrive throughout pandemic
Published on August 31, 2021
-
Protecting Michigan’s environment and wildlife through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
Published on September 1, 2021
-
MSU Extension to undertake three-year, $7 million vaccination education effort
Published on August 17, 2021
-
MSU to study precision livestock farming adoption trends in U.S. swine industry
Published on March 15, 2021
-
MSU research team receives USDA grant to evaluate effectiveness, cost of new blueberry pest management strategies
Published on February 19, 2021
Accessibility Questions:
For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.