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Useful Tropical Plants

Physalis lagascae

Roem. & Schult.

Solanaceae


This species has been commonly confused with Physalis minima L., and many references to that species are likely to more properly refer to this species[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Physalis micrantha Link

Physalis minima auct

Physalis parviflora Lag.

Physalis alkekengi Lour.

Physalis crenata Noronha

Physalis diffusa Willd. ex Nees

Physalis dunalii Montrouz.

Physalis minima hermannii Hassl.

Physalis minima paraguariensis Hassl.

Physalis parviculea S.F.Blake

Physalis pseudoangulata Blume

Physalis ramosa Forssk.

Physalis rothiana Roem. & Schult.

Physalis rydbergii Rusby

Physalis timorensis Zipp. ex Span.

Physalis villosa B.Heyne ex Roth

Common Name:

Physalis lagascae
Physalis lagascae Physalis lagascae Physalis lagascae Physalis lagascae

General Information

Physalis lagascae is an erect to prostrate, branched annual plant that can grow up to 100cm tall[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is said to be occasionally cultivated for these purposes[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Physalis lagascae is widely distributed, is common, is present in protected areas and there are no major widespread threats currently affecting its population. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Physalis lagascae is a common weed of cultivated and waste ground[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Known Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Botanical References

331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
2214
Title
Taxonomic revision of Physalis in Mexico
Publication
Front. Genet. 14:1080176
Author
Martínez M. et al
Website
http:// 10.3389/fgene.2023.1080176
Publisher
 
Year
2023
ISBN
 
Description
 

Range

Originally native to tropical America, it is now distributed pantropically as a weed.

Habitat

A common weed of cultivated and disturbed ground, especially in seasonally dry areas[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Often found in secondary vegetation as a weed, in grasslands, or associated with tropical deciduous forest; at elevations from sea level to 2,100 metres[
2214
Title
Taxonomic revision of Physalis in Mexico
Publication
Front. Genet. 14:1080176
Author
Martínez M. et al
Website
http:// 10.3389/fgene.2023.1080176
Publisher
 
Year
2023
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.75 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Physalis lagascae is native to seasonally dry tropical regions. It is often found as a pantropical weed, being particularly well-suited to seasonally dry climates, but it is by no means restricted to them[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The fruit is a greenish to yellow, globose berry 6 - 10 mm in diameter, containing many small seeds and enclosed in a persistent, inflated bladdery calyx[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Leaves - boiled and eaten as a vegetable[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Medicinal

Leaves are used externally to treat yaws and measles. Pain in the joints is relieved by rubbing or dressing them with pounded leaves. The leaves are also applied to Guinea worm sores, killing the worms and easing extraction. Leaf sap is taken orally to treat tonsillitis, jaundice, angina pectoris, tachycardia and stomach-ache, and as an anthelmintic. The ground leaves are used in the treatment of abdominal and vaginal pain and are taken as a cold infusion shortly before childbirth to help expel the placenta[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

The whole plant mashed up and added to palm wine is taken to cure fever[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

The leaf sap is very bitter and haemostatic[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Chemical and pharmacological work done on this species has been published under the name Physalis minima and cannot be distinguished from that done on other species of Physalis for which this name has been used. In view of the medicinal uses, it is probable that Physalis lagascae contains steroidal lactones belonging to the physaline and withanolide types: physalins, physagulins, withangulatins, withanolides; it may further contain vitasteroids[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Other Uses

The plant is a tertiary wild relative of, and potential gene donor to low ground-cherry[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-12-06. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Physalis+lagascae>

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