Physalis mollis

Physalis mollis, commonly known as field ground-cherry, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It is a perennial herb native to the south-central United States and Mexico. It grows in sandy soils, prairies, roadsides, and disturbed habitats.

Description

Physalis mollis is a perennial herb. It flowers from March to October. Like other members of Physalis, it produces flowers followed by berries enclosed within an enlarged, papery calyx.

Physalis mollis is distinguished from related stellate-pubescent species by the undersurfaces of the mid-stem and upper leaves being densely white-tomentose, with the pubescence mostly obscuring the blade surface.

Taxonomy

Physalis mollis was first described by Thomas Nuttall in 1836 in the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. The original data cited Texas and northern Mexico. Plants of the World Online accepts the species as Physalis mollis Nutt.

Plants of the World Online recognizes two infraspecific taxa: Physalis mollis var. mollis and Physalis mollis var. variovestita. NatureServe follows the broad Flora of North America treatment of P. mollis, including var. variovestita. Other treatments, including Turner and Martínez and Weakley, exclude var. variovestita from P. mollis and treat it as a variety of Physalis cinerascens.

Distribution and habitat

Physalis mollis is native from Oklahoma to Alabama and Mexico. Plants of the World Online lists it as native to Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and parts of Mexico. NatureServe describes it as occurring in the south-central United States from Arkansas and Oklahoma south to Louisiana and Texas, extending into Mexico.

The species grows in sandy soil, prairies, roadsides, and disturbed habitats, at elevations of .

Infraspecific taxa

Plants of the World Online accepts two varieties:

Var. mollis

Physalis mollis var. mollis is the typical variety of the species. It is a wide-ranging perennial taxon of sandy soil, prairies, roadsides, and disturbed habitats in the south-central United States and Mexico. It is ranked G5T5 by NatureServe, indicating that the variety is secure.

Var. variovestita

Physalis mollis var. variovestita was published by J.R. Sullivan in 1985, based on Physalis variovestita Waterf. NatureServe and Plants of the World Online treat it as a variety of P. mollis, while Turner and Martínez and Weakley place it under Physalis cinerascens as Physalis cinerascens var. variovestita. NatureServe describes it as endemic to eastern Texas, from the extreme southern part of the state north along the coast to Aransas County. It grows in open sands, other dry habitats, and disturbed sandy areas, at elevations of .

Conservation

NatureServe ranks Physalis mollis as , indicating that it is globally secure. The status was last reviewed on 9 October 2025. NatureServe estimates more than 180 occurrences rangewide and notes that, although threats are not well documented, the species may be affected in some places by development, rights-of-way maintenance, agriculture and pasturage, invasive species, and other threats. However, NatureServe considers the overall impact likely negligible because of the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and tolerance of light disturbance. The species has no status under the United States Endangered Species Act.

Toxicity

Unripe fruits and foliage of Physalis species contain solanine and other solanidine alkaloids and are toxic if ingested in large quantities.

References

mollis Category:Flora of the United States Category:Flora of Mexico Category:Plants described in 1836 Category:Taxa named by Thomas Nuttall