Common names :
Wild gooseberry, ground cherry, bladder cherry, Chinese lantern, cut leaf ground cherry, cutleaf ground cherry, Indian gooseberry, etc
Origin : Tropical America
Distribution : Pan tropical
Habitat : Borders of woods, wasteland, sideways,
croplands, fallow land etc. Grows well in moist, nitrate-rich soils ; prefer full sunlight, but tolerate partial
shade.
Botanical Description :
Annual, herbaceous.
Stem – angled, hollow
Leaves – ovate to ovate-oblong ; obtuse, acute or
rounded at base ; irregular toothed, 3-15cm long, 2-10cm wide.
Flowers – stalk 5-40cm length, corolla
yellowish-green; anthers bluish or violet.
Fruit – orange round berry, 1-1.8cm long ; enclosed
in a balloon-like green ( pale brown when dry ) calyx of 5 lobes with small
apical opening.
Seeds – disc-shaped to broadly reniform, 1-2mm
long, pale yellow
Uses :
Edible fruit – raw or cooked
Young leaves – cooked as a potherb
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