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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 names

Cape gooseberry

Biostatus

Exotic

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Flower colours

Violet/Purple, Yellow

Detailed description

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)

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Conservation status

Not applicable

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Solanaceae

Authority

Physalis peruviana L.

Ecology

Flowering

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

Year naturalised

1843

Origin

Tropical S. America

Reason for introduction

Agricultural

Life cycle and dispersal

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

Other information

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

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