Physalis carpenteri


Physalis carpenteri, or Carpenter's groundcherry, is a dicot in the plant family Solanaceae, the "nightshade" plants, which includes the potato and the tomato. Native to sandy soils on the coastal plain regions of southeastern North America from northern Florida to Louisiana and Arkansas, it was first described from specimens collected in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Its species name honors the botanical contributions of early Louisiana naturalist William Marbury Carpenter.

Uses

The Plants for a Future project notes that Physalis carpenteri belongs to a genus which includes members with poisonous leaves and stems, although the fully ripe fruits are usually edible, and give it an Edibility Rating of 2 out of 5, with no medicinal value or other uses noted.

Taxonomic note

In 2012, Physalis carpenteri was placed in a new, monotypic genus, Calliphysalis, based on chromosomal, molecular, morphological, and phylogenetic data that demonstrated its uniqueness.