Plant Name
Scientific Name: Quincula lobata
Synonym: Physalis lobata
Common Names: Chinese Lantern, Purple Ground Cherry, Purpleflower Groundcherry
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland
Flower Color: Purple to blue-purple
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Height: To 18 inches (46 cm) tall
Description: The flowers are flat, disk-like, 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, and have a shiny, 5-pointed star on the corolla. There is a hairy, white spot at the base of each of the 5 star lobes. The flowers are followed by an inflated, paper lantern-like calyx containing a round, yellow berry. The leaves are green, oblong, and pinnately lobed. The stems are decumbent to spreading. The green fruit "lanterns", leaves, and stems are typically sparsely beaded with tiny, white dots (papillate).
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae – Potato family
Genus: Quincula Raf. – quincula
Species: Quincula lobata (Torr.) Raf. – Chinese lantern
More About This Plant