Common Name: Cutleaf Ground Cherry

General Information

Cutleaf ground cherry is an erect, branched, annual plant growing from 10 - 100cm tall. The lower stems are sometimes prostrate and root at the nodes[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, and also supplies medicines for local use. It is sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit[, ].

Known Hazards

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where many of the members have poisonous leaves and stems, though the full ripe fruits are usually edible[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Originally native to tropical America, now widely distributed throughout the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions.

Habitat

Borders of woods and thickets, cultivated soil and waste places in eastern N. America[]. Rich soils[]. Found over debris, in fallows, fields and coastal sands, often on nitrate-rich soils[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cutleaf ground cherry is found in many parts of the tropics and subtropics to elevations up to 3,000 metres. It is tolerant of light frosts, but does not grow well at high temperatures[].
Prefers a moist, fertile soil, but succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun or light shade[, ].
The plant is distributed pantropically as a weed of crops, pastures and waste ground[].
When free of stress, the plant can grow to 80 - 100cm tall before flowering; but where growing under stress flowering may start when the plants are 25 - 30cm tall[].
Plants raised from seed may start flowering after 6 weeks, and fruits are ripe 6 weeks later[].

Edible Uses

Edible fruit - raw or cooked[, , ]. Juicy and sub-acid[]. Eating too many fruits can cause dizziness[]. The fruit is up to 30mm in diameter[]. The plant conveniently wraps up each fruit in its own 'paper bag' (botanically, the calyx) to protect it from pests and the elements. This calyx is toxic and should not be eaten.

Young leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[, , , , ]. A bitter flavour[]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity[].

Medicinal

The plant is diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge[, ]. The leaves have been used to treat stomach disorders and Bright's Disease[, ].
The plant is used in the Pacific Islands to facilitate childbirth; to treat infertility in women and dengue fever[].

The seeds are cooked with Phyllanthus amarus seeds in a preparation given to women after childbirth[].

The leaves are analgesic, diuretic, parasiticide and relaxant[] They are eaten, or applied as an enema, in order to cure stomach-ache, colic, lithiasis and anuria. Added to palm wine, they are used to cure fever and to calm attacks ofasthma, vomiting and diarrhoea[]. Sleeping sickness is treated with a mixture of the leaves combined with those of Anchomanes difformis[].
The leaves are used externally to treat a wide range of skin ailments such as itch, smallpox pustules, whitlow lesions, infected scarification wounds and rheumatic pain, and to relieve muscular stiffness and pain. The leaves are also applied to Guinea worm sores, killing the worms and easing extraction. A lotion prepared from the leaves is applied to treat ophthalmia in children[].

In Central and South America Physalis angulatais also widely used as a medicinal plant. It is used to treat malaria, toothache, liver ailments including hepatitis, rheumatism, and is considered a diuretic and relaxant. Plant infusions are taken to treat gonorrhoea, indigestion, nephritis and fever[].
In South-East Asia an infusion of the aerial parts, including the fruits, is taken to cure digestive and intestinal problems, and is externally applied to treat various skin problems such as sores, boils and cuts. In Papua New Guinea a leaf decoction is drunk to treat constipation. The sap of the leaves mixed in water is taken as an abortifacient, although the use of the leaves to treat sterility is also mentioned[].

The aerial parts of the plant contain several steroidal lactones belonging to the physaline and withanolide types: physalins A-I, physagulin A-G, withangulatin A and withanolide T. They further contain several vitasteroids, e.g. Vamonolide. The pyrrolidine alkaloid phygrine (bis-hygrine) was isolated from the roots and aerial parts. The physalins B and F were found to inhibit the growth of several types of human leukaemia cells in vitro and physalin F showed cytotoxicity in vitro on 5 otherhuman cancer cell lines. In addition, physalin F had an antitumour effect in mice in vivo. In vitro withangulatin A was found to be a topoisomerase II inhibitor and a cytotoxin. In tests on rats and mice, vitanolides (isolated from aerial parts) and hyperoside (quercetin-3-O-galactoside; from the leaves) were confirmed to have anti-inflammatory activity. Extracts of Physalis angulata have proven effectiveness against both human African sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense) and Chagas’ disease (Trypanosoma cruzi). They also have an inhibitory effect against several strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and molluscicidal properties (Biomphalaria tenagophila)[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. Germination is usually quick and free. Diurnal temperature fluctuations assist germination with daytime temperatures of 30°c falling to 21°c at night[, ].

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