Description

Ground Cherry is a species of perennial herbs belonging to the family Solanaceae. Native gooseberry, wild cape gooseberry and pygmy groundcherry are some of the popular common names in English. It is a pantropical annual herb 20–50 cm high at its maturity. It can be found near the marshes of Java. Leaves are soft and smooth (not furry), with entire or jagged margins, 2.5–12 cm long. Cream to yellowish flowers are followed by edible yellowish fruit encapsulated in papery cover which turns straw brown and drops to the ground when the fruit is fully ripe

Characteristics:

Ground Cherry is a popular fruit to pick and eat. The taste of the ripe berry is sweet and distinctive. The berries are ripe when the husk turns brown and the berry inside takes on a yellowish cast. This is a herbaceous plant which can reach 3 ft. It can be a perennial or an annual. The stem is branched and often reclining. The leaves are alternate. Leaves can reach 10cm in length. Each leaf is toothed or lobed. The flowers have 5 Regular Parts and are up to 2cm wide. They are greenish yellow sometimes brownish yellow. Blooms first appear in early summer and continue into late summer. The flowers hang from the stem. A berry hidden in a larger papery shell. The berry and shell are both green at first with the shell turning light brown and the berry taking on a yellow cast when ripe.

Medicinal Uses:

The plant has been used as a diuretic for various urinary problems. There seems to be no scientific data to support this. Its use for bladder problems may go back to the doctrine of signatures . Physalis is the Greek word for bladder.