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Physalis pubescens, Linn. Strawberry Tomato of vegetable- gardens. Dwarf cape Gooseberry. Husk Tomato. Ground Cherry. Fig. 2934. Low annual, trailing flat on the ground, or sometimes ascending to the height of a foot: lvs. rather thin and nearly smooth, more or less regularly and prominently notched with blunt teeth: fls. small (3/8in. or less long), bell-shaped, the limb or border erect and whitish yellow, the throat marked with 5 large brown spots; anthers yellow: husk smooth or nearly so, thin and paper-like, prominently 5-angled and somewhat larger than the small yellow sweetish and not glutinous fr. N. Y. to the tropics.—The plant is very prolific, and the frs. are considerably earlier than in the other species. When ripe the frs. fall, and if the season is ordinarily dry they will often keep in good condition on the ground for 3 or 4 weeks. The frs. will keep nearly all winter if put away in the husks in a dry chamber. They are sweet and pleasant, with a little acid, and they are considerably used for preserves, and sometimes for sauce. The plant is worthy a place hi every home-garden. It is grown more or less by small gardeners near the large cities, and the frs. are often seen in the winter markets. The chief objection to the plant is its prostrate habit of growth, which demands much ground for its cult. In good soil it will spread 4 ft. in all directions, if not headed in. The plants are set in rows 3 or 4 ft. apart and 2 or 3 ft. apart in the row. This physalis has been long in cult. It was figured by Dillenius in 1774, in his account of the plants growing in Sherard's garden at Eltham, England. In 1781-6 it was figured by Jacquin, and by him called Physali^ barbadensis, from the island of Barbados, whence it was supposed to have come into cult. In 1807, Martyn also described it under the name of Barbados winter cherry, or Physalis barbadensis, and says that it is a native of Barbados. None of these authors says anything about its culinary uses. Dunal, in 1852, described it as var. barbadensis of Physalis hirsuta, but later botanists unite Dunal's P. hirsuta with Linnaeus' P. pubescens, of which this common husk tomato is but a cult. form.
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The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.
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