Description: Summer-growing annuals, rhizomatous perennials or short-lived shrubs, glabrous or hairy with simple, forked or glandular hairs.
Leaves alternate, 1 or 2 per node (but not opposite), simple, margins entire, toothed or lobed; petiolate.
Flowers solitary in leaf-axils and branch forks, bisexual, actinomorphic. Calyx tubular to campanulate, 5-lobed. Corolla broad-campanulate to rotate, mostly yellow, often with dark spots towards the base; tube short; limb expanded, shallowly 5-lobed. Stamens 5 equal, inserted towards base of corolla tube; anthers 2-locular, basifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary 2-locular.
Fruit ± globose berry enclosed by inflated calyx.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 100 species, chiefly North & South America, some in Asia. Australia: 8 species (1 species probably native, 7 species naturalized), all States.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Herbaceous perennials with rhizomatous rootstock; indumentum of simple or forked non-glandular hairs, or glabrescent | 2 |
| Annuals or short-lived perennials; indumentum sparse to dense, of glandular or simple (never forked) non-glandular hairs, or glabrous | 3 |
| 2 | Indumentum including some minute forked hairs; leaves narrow-ovate, margins usually sinuate or toothed | Physalis hederifolia |
| Indumentum of simple hairs only; leaves elliptic, margins entire or with a few indistinct lobes
Back to 1 | Physalis longifolia |
| 3 | Plants obviously pubescent, hirsute or pilose with erect, glandular or simple non-glandular hairs; corolla conspicuously spotted | 4 |
| Plants sparsely hairy with erect or appressed, simple, non-glandular hairs, or becoming glabrescent; corolla marked with inconspicuous blotches
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Annual; fruiting calyx 17–22 mm long; corolla 6–8 mm long; hairs ± sticky | Physalis pubescens |
| Short-lived shrub; fruiting calyx 30–40 mm long; corolla 10–15 mm long; hairs not sticky
Back to 3 | Physalis peruviana |
| 5 | Anthers 3–4 mm long, becoming twisted; flowers bright yellow; berries mostly 17–30 mm diam | Physalis philadelphica |
| Anthers 2–2.5 mm long, straight; flowers dull yellow; berries usually 8–15 mm diam
Back to 3 | 6 |
| 6 | Leaves narrow-elliptic; pedicels usually 20–30 mm long | Physalis lanceifolia |
| Leaves narrow-ovate; pedicels usually 5–25 mm long
Back to 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Pedicel 5–10 mm long; style 2–2.5 mm long; fruiting calyx circular in section | Physalis ixocarpa |
| Pedicel usually 20–25 mm long; style 4–5 mm long; fruiting calyx angular in section
Back to 6 | Physalis angulata |
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