physalis

noun

physa·​lis

ˈfīsələ̇s,

ˈfis-;

fīˈsalə̇s

1

capitalized : a large genus of low-growing chiefly American annual or perennial herbs (family Solanaceae) that have an angled campanulate corolla and an inflated and sometimes brightly colored calyx enclosing a fruit which is a greenish or yellow 2-celled globular berry and that include several plants which are cultivated for their edible fruit or their showy calyxes see cape gooseberry , chinese lantern plant , ground-cherry, strawberry tomato

2

plural -es : any plant of the genus Physalis

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, modification of Late Greek physallis Chinese lantern plant, from Greek, bladder, bubble

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