Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Mexican Ground-cherry - Physalis philadelphica   Lamarck
Members of Solanaceae:
Members of Physalis with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Solanales » Family Solanaceae
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AuthorLamarck
DistributionThere are 2 collections in the lower Piedmont and one from the southern Mountains. It is unclear whether any of them are actual escapes from cultivation. The Cherokee County specimen appears to be misidentified and needs an ID check.

Native of Mexico and C.A.; in N.A. scattered throughout most of the U.S. and southern Canada.
AbundanceVery rare.
HabitatFlowerbed north of NCSU greenhouse in 1988; Murphy, pre-1900; sent for ID from Henderson (Vance Co.).
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting June-October.
IdentificationMexican Ground-cherry, also known as Tomatillo, is a large-flowered and large-fruited species. The fruits are 20-40 mm in diameter and yellow-green or green. The flowers are dull yellow with a bluish or brownish throat.
Taxonomic CommentsA misapplied name is P. ixocarpa.

Other Common Name(s)Tomatillo
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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AllCollection_non_natural