Physalis peruviana

Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile.<br>Photographer: John Sawyer, Date taken: 01/05/2010, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Hayward Scenic Reserve, Lower Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 10/12/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Arthur St, Hawera; self-sown, 2.5 m sub-shrub with flowers & fruit.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 19/05/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

Physalis peruviana.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

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Common name

Cape gooseberry

Family

Solanaceae

Authority

Physalis peruviana L.

Flora category

Vascular – Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

NVS code

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

PHYPER

Conservation status

Not applicable

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Features

Herb, grows 15-200 cm tall, densely hairy. Flowers pale yellow with patches of pale purple towards base, January-December. Fruit 10-20 mm diameter orange, sweet and enclosed in a lantern-like persistent calyx. (DoC 1998)

Flowering

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Flower colours

Violet/Purple, Yellow

Year naturalised

1843

Origin

Tropical S. America

Reason For Introduction
Agricultural

Dispersal
Animals eat & disperse seeds (Webb et al., 1988). Birds (Colin Ogle, pers. comm.).

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