17. Physalis mollis Nuttall, Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. n. s. 5: 194. 1836.
[E]
Physalis viscosa Linnaeus subsp. mollis (Nuttall) Waterfall
Herbs perennial, rhizomatous, rhizomes deeply buried, stout, often also with shallowly buried, slender rhizomes, densely pubescent, hairs dendroid-stelliform, to 1 mm, obscuring plant surface on younger growth, occasionally also jointed, branched or simple, 2–4 mm, glandular or eglandular. Stems erect, branching occasionally, branches ascending, 1.5–5 dm. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1/3–4/5 blade; blade ovate, 2.5–7 × 1.5–6(–7) cm, base truncate, margins coarsely dentate or irregular to ± entire. Pedicels 10–25(–35) mm, 20–40(–52) mm in fruit. Flowers: calyx 6–10(–12) mm, lobes 2.5–5.5 mm; corolla yellow with 5 pale to dark brown smudges or dark purple-black spots, campanulate-rotate, 9.5–15(–17) mm; anthers yellow, rarely blue- or purple-tinged, not twisted after dehiscence, 3–4 mm. Fruiting calyces loosely enclosing berry, 10-ribbed, 25–40(–50) × 15–35 mm.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): sc United States.
