ground cherry

ground cherry

n.

1. Any of various plants of the genus Physalis in the nightshade family, chiefly of the Americas, having small, globose, fleshy fruit enclosed in a papery, bladderlike, persistent calyx.

2. The fruit of any of these plants. In both senses also called husk tomato.

ground cherry

n

(Plants) any of various American solanaceous plants of the genus Physalis, esp P. pubescens, having round fleshy fruit enclosed in a bladder-like husk. See also winter cherry, gooseberry⁴

ground′ cher`ry

n.

1. any plant belonging to the genus Physalis, of the nightshade family, bearing an edible berry enclosed in an enlarged calyx.

2. the fruit of these plants.

Also called husk tomato.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

ground cherry - any of numerous cosmopolitan annual or perennial herbs of the genus Physalis bearing edible fleshy berries enclosed in a bladderlike husk; some cultivated for their flowers husk tomato herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests genus Physalis, Physalis - ground cherries downy ground cherry, Physalis pubescens, strawberry tomato - decorative American annual having round fleshy yellow berries enclosed in a bladderlike husk bladder cherry, Chinese lantern plant, Physalis alkekengi, winter cherry - Old World perennial cultivated for its ornamental inflated papery orange-red calyx cape gooseberry, Physalis peruviana, purple ground cherry - annual of tropical South America having edible purple fruits dwarf cape gooseberry, Physalis pruinosa, strawberry tomato - stout hairy annual of eastern North America with sweet yellow fruits Mexican husk tomato, Physalis ixocarpa, tomatillo, jamberry - annual of Mexico and southern United States having edible purplish viscid fruit resembling small tomatoes jamberry, miltomate, Physalis philadelphica, purple ground cherry, tomatillo - Mexican annual naturalized in eastern North America having yellow to purple edible fruit resembling small tomatoes Physalis viscosa, yellow henbane - found on sea beaches from Virginia to South America having greenish-yellow flowers and orange or yellow berries