5. Physalis cordata Mill. (ground cherry)

Pl. 564 h–j; Map 2627

Plants annual, more or less taprooted. Stems 15–50 cm long, erect or ascending, with several to many ascending branches, glabrous or sparsely pubescent toward the tip with minute, upward-appressed, nonglandular hairs 0.1–0.3 mm long. Leaves mostly long-petiolate. Leaf blades 1.5–8.0 cm long, ovate to broadly ovate or occasionally nearly circular, angled or short-tapered to a sharply pointed tip, rounded to truncate or shallowly cordate at the base, occasionally angled or broadly short-tapered, the margins moderately toothed (the larger ones with 8 or more teeth per side), minutely hairy, the teeth bluntly or sharply pointed, shallow and broad to deeper and narrower, the surfaces green to dark green when fresh, not drying orangish-tinged, sparsely pubescent with minute, nonglandular hairs only along the veins. Flower stalks (4.5–)6–11 mm long, becoming elongated to (10–)15–35 mm at fruiting. Calyces 3.5–6.5 mm long at flowering, the lobes 2.0–4.5 mm long, the outer surface glabrous or sparsely and minutely appressed-hairy at flowering, glabrous (except sometimes for the lobes) at fruiting, at fruiting becoming elongated to (25–)30–40 mm long, sharply 5-angled, concave at the base, green or pale brown to tan. Corollas 6.5–9.5 mm long, pale yellow to lemon yellow, the inner surface with 5 large, prominent dark purplish brown to dark reddish brown spots toward the base (these sometimes merged into a ring or appearing smudged). Stamens with broad filaments about as wide as the anthers, the anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long, blue or bluish-tinged, arched but not coiled after dehiscence. Fruits 1.2–1.5 cm long, green, yellow, or orangish yellow. July–October.

Uncommon, widely scattered in the southern half of the state (southeastern U.S. west to Missouri and Texas; Mexico, Central America, South America, Caribbean Islands, Pacific Islands; introduced in Asia). Banks of streams and rivers; also pastures, quarries, railroads, and open, often sandy, disturbed areas.

Steyermark (1963) did not mention P. cordata, but specimens of this species were included in his concept of P. pubescens var. glabra. In her taxonomic study of the P. pubescens complex, Martínez (1998) discussed the distinctness of P. cordata and its distribution, including Missouri.