''Physalis longifolia'', known by the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s common groundcherry, longleaf groundcherry, and wild tomatillo, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the nightshade family,

Solanaceae The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orn ...

. It is native to North America, where it is native to eastern Canada, much of the continental United States, and northern Mexico. It has also been noted as an

introduced species An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...

in other regions, including parts of the United States outside its native range. In some areas, such as

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, it is an occasional

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

. This species is a perennial herb growing tall with somewhat oval-shaped leaf blades long borne on petioles. Flowers occur in the leaf axils. The bell-shaped corolla is up to wide and is yellow with purplish markings around the center. The husk covering the

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

is up to long with ten veins. There are two varieties:''Physalis longifolia''.
ITIS. *''P. longifolia'' var. ''longifolia'' *''P. longifolia'' var. ''subglabrata'' (syn. ''P. subglabrata'')

Uses

The yellow-green fruit is edible. The fresh fruit "tastes like an

effervescent Effervescence is the escape of gas from an aqueous solution and the foaming or fizzing that results from that release. The word effervescence is derived from the Latin verb ''fervere'' (to boil), preceded by the adverb ''ex''. It has the same li ...

, under-ripened strawberry", and the dried berry "tastes like a cross between a

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the d ...

and dried cranberry." Native American groups used it for food. The Puebloan peoples called the fruits ''charoka'' and ''shuma charoka'' and ate them fresh or cooked. The

Zuni people The Zuni ( zun, A:shiwi; formerly spelled ''Zuñi'') are Native American Pueblo peoples native to the Zuni River valley. The Zuni are a Federally recognized tribe and most live in the Pueblo of Zuni on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Lit ...

referred to the plant and its relative '' Physalis hederifolia'' as ''Ke’tsitokia'', and probably used them in similar ways. Women grew it in household gardens. The

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

-flavored berry was boiled and ground with

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

coriander Coriander (;

, and chilis to make a dish considered to be a delicacy. The fruit was also dried and mixed into

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

for

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

. Today the Zuni use the closely related common

tomatillo The tomatillo (''Physalis philadelphica'' and ''Physalis ixocarpa''), also known as the Mexican husk tomato, is a plant of the nightshade family bearing small, spherical, and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos originated ...

(''P. philadelphica'') in a

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...

recipe derived from the traditional dishes that used wild species. The var. ''subglabrata'' has been listed in government compendia of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

restricted taxa believed to be hallucinogenic, but this is likely inaccurate. ''P. longifolia'' is easy to grow in trials and produces a flavorful fruit.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q310693 longifolia Plants used in Native American cuisine Flora of North America