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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Solanaceae
Physalis viscosa

Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 183 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Sticky Cape gooseberry, sticky ground-cherry.

Description:
An herbaceous perennial to c. 30 cm high, with an extensive rhizomatous root system; sparsely pubescent with minute forked hairs; a few plants have bluntly conical hairs but then usually have a few forked hairs on the calyx margins; lower leaves to 5 x 3 cm, ovate-lanceolate, upper leaves c. 3 x 1 cm, lanceolate, apex acute, base cuneate, often oblique; petiole 0.5-2 cm long, narrowly winged above.

Flowers solitary, pedunculate from leaf axils and stem forks; peduncle c. 1 cm long; calyx 9-10 mm long; corolla c. 2-2.5 cm diam., rotate-pentagonal, pale-yellow with dark olive-yellow spots towards the base, densely pubescent below the spots; filaments 3-5 mm long, unequal, glabrous, white; anthers 3-3.5 mm long, unequal, glabrous, white; anthers 3-3.5 mm long, oblong, creamy-white, pollen white; ovary c. 2 mm diam., bluntly conical, disk conspicuous, fleshy, a pale orange-yellow; style c. 9 mm long, erect; stigma capitate.

Fruiting calyx to 2 x 1.5 cm, enclosing the berry; berry c. 1 cm diam., finally greenish-yellow; seeds 2-2.25 mm long, discoidal, light-brown.

image of FSA3_Physalis_vis.jpg Flowering branch, flower and opened corolla
Image source: fig. 572B in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Parsons (1973) Noxious weeds of Victoria, p. 264 as P. lanceolata.

Distribution:    W.Aust.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.   Native to North and South America.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: Nov. — March.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: This species has become widely naturalised and weedy in south-eastern Australia and may be difficult to eradicate because of its vigorous rhizomatous root system.

Author: Not yet available


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