Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried and seldom collected, sparsely pubescent to densely villous, hairs simple, jointed, 1–3 mm. Stems erect, branching infre­quently, branches ascending to spreading, 1–3(–4) dm. Leaves petiolate; petiole to 1/3 blade at proximal nodes, appearing ± sessile at distal nodes; blade lanceolate or lanceolate-ovate, (2.5–)4.5–7.5(–9.5) × 1.2–2.5(–4) cm, base rounded and tapering to petiole, margins entire, saliently few-toothed, or repand. Pedicels 8–13(–15) mm, 10–20(–25) mm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 6–10 mm, lobes 2–5(–7) mm; corolla yellow with dark purple-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 14–16 mm; anthers dark purple to blue, rarely yellow, not twisted after dehiscence, (2–)3–3.5 mm. Fruiting calyces loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, (20–)30–50 × 20–30(–35) mm, lobes attenuate. 2n = 24.

Flowering (sporadically Jun–)Aug. Loose, gravelly soil near streams, slopes, rocky ridges, pinyon-oak-juniper woodlands; 1200–2800 m; Ariz., N.Mex.; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora).

Only a few herbarium specimens of Physalis caudella have been seen from the flora area (Apache, Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona, and Catron County in New Mexico).