Physalis peruviana

Physalis peruviana
Cape gooseberry flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Physalis
Species:	P. peruviana
Binomial name
Physalis peruviana L.
Synonyms[1]
Alkekengi pubescens Moench Boberella peruviana (L.) E.H.L.Krause Physalis esculenta Salisb. Physalis latifolia Lam. Physalis tomentosa Medik.

Physalis peruviana (physalis = bladder) is the plant and its fruit, also known as Cape gooseberry (South Africa, UK), Inca berry, Aztec berry, golden berry, giant ground cherry, African ground cherry, Peruvian groundcherry, Peruvian cherry, pok pok (Madagascar), poha (Hawaii), ras bhari (India), aguaymanto (Peru), uvilla (Ecuador), uchuva/ochuva (Colombia), fisalis (Spain), harankash (Egypt), amour en cage (France, French for love in a cage), and sometimes simply Physalis (United Kingdom).^[2][3] It is indigenous to South America, but has been cultivated in England since the late 18th century and in South Africa in the region of the Cape of Good Hope since at least the start of the 19th century.

Characteristics

In green calyx

Physalis peruviana is closely related to the tomatillo and to the Chinese lantern, also members of the genus Physalis. As a member of the plant family Solanaceae, it is more distantly related to a large number of edible plants, including tomato, eggplant, potato and other members of the nightshades.^[4] Despite its name, it is not closely related to any of the cherry, Ribes gooseberry, Indian gooseberry, or Chinese gooseberry.

The fruit is a smooth berry, resembling a miniature, spherical, yellow tomato. Removed from its bladder-like calyx, it is about the size of a marble, about 1–2 cm in diameter. Like a tomato, it contains numerous small seeds. It is bright yellow to orange in color, and it is sweet when ripe, with a characteristic, mildly tart flavor, making it ideal for snacks, pies, or jams.^[4] It is relished in salads and fruit salads, sometimes combined with avocado. Also, because of the fruit's decorative appearance, it is popular in restaurants as an exotic garnish for desserts.

A prominent feature is the inflated, papery calyx enclosing each berry. The calyx is accrescent until the fruit is fully grown; at first it is of normal size, but after the petals fall it continues to grow until it forms a protective cover around the growing fruit. If the fruit is left inside the intact calyx husks, its shelf life at room temperature is about 30–45 days.

Geographic and cultivation origins

Native to high-altitude, tropical Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, where the fruits grow wild, physalis is locally eaten and frequently sold in markets. Only recently has the plant become an important crop; it has been widely introduced into cultivation in other tropical, subtropical and even temperate areas.

Cross section

The plant was grown by early settlers of the Cape of Good Hope before 1807. It is not clear whether it was grown there before its introduction to England, but sources since the mid-19th century attribute the common name, "Cape gooseberry" to this fact.^[5][6] A popular suggestion is that the name properly refers to the calyx surrounding the fruit like a cape. This seems however, to be an example of folk etymology or false etymology, because it does not appear in publications earlier than the mid 20th century.

Not long after its introduction to South Africa, Physalis peruviana was introduced into Australia, New Zealand, and various Pacific islands.^[4]

In South Africa, it is commercially cultivated; canned fruits and jam are common, often exported. It is also cultivated and naturalized on a small scale in Gabon and other parts of Central Africa.

Soon after its adoption in the Cape of Good Hope, it was carried to Australia, where it was one of the few fresh fruits of the early settlers in New South Wales. It is also favored in New Zealand, where it is said "the housewife is sometimes embarrassed by the quantity of berries in the garden",^[4] and government agencies promote increased culinary use. It is grown in India where it is called ras bhari.

The Cape gooseberry is also grown in northeastern China, namely Heilongjiang Province, as a seasonal fruit harvested in late August through September. In Chinese pinyin, the fruit is informally referred to as gu niao, its Turkish name is altın çilek, and in Chinese pinyin mao suan jiang.

It is grown in Thailand, particularly on Doi Inthanon, and in Egypt, where it is known locally as harankash or as is-sitt il-mistahiya (the shy woman), a reference to the papery sheath.

Marketing

Physalis peruviana (from South America) fruits are marketed in the United States as Pichuberry™, named after Machu Picchu in order to associate the fruit with its origin in Peru and address the fact that this fruit is actually not a gooseberry as the name 'Cape gooseberry' may imply.^[7][8]

In Britain the fresh fruit is usually sold as physalis, but the dried fruit is sold as goldenberry.

Nutrients and basic research

Calyx open, exposing the ripe fruit

According to analyses by the USDA, a 100 g serving of Cape gooseberries is low in calories and contains modest levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B3, while other nutrients are at low levels (right table).^[9]

Basic research on cape gooseberry and its constituents, such as polyphenols and/or carotenoids, includes studies on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.^[10][11][12]

One preliminary study found evidence for melatonin content in Physalis peruviana.^[13]

Pests and diseases

In South Africa, cutworms are the most important of the many insect pests that attack the cape gooseberry in seedbeds; red spiders after plants have been established in the field; and the potato tuber moth if the cape gooseberry is in the vicinity of potato fields. Hares damage young plants, and birds eat the fruits if not repelled. In India, mites may cause defoliation. In Jamaica, the leaves were suddenly riddled by what were apparently flea beetles. In the Bahamas, whitefly attacks on the very young plants and flea beetles on the flowering plants required control.^[4]

In South Africa, the most troublesome diseases are powdery mildew and soft brown scale. The plants are prone to root rots and viruses if on poorly drained soil or if carried over to a second year. Therefore, farmers favor biennial plantings. Bacterial leaf spot (Xanthomonas spp.) occurs in Queensland. A strain of tobacco mosaic virus may affect plants in India.^[4] In New Zealand, plants can be infected by Candidatus liberibacter subsp. solanacearum.^[14]

See also

• Physalis pubescens (a closely related species, sprouts are noticeably less hairy)

References