atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

fleshy, enclosed in an inflated, balloon-like, ovoid calyx, up to about 3 cm long, with an
apical opening; seeds, about 1.7 mm long, flat, reniform, yellowish. Weed in low ground
near Buada Lagoon, on road fill in currently mined areas, and in disturbed soil and
dumps on coastal strip. Ripe fruit eaten by children. 2, 3(58645, 58768), 4(130N), 5(14),
6, 7(2232l), 8(9541).
Physalis lagascae R. & S. "ground cherry", "wild cape gooseberry", "bubble fruit"
watamo, oatamo (N); te baraki(K); pini (T)
syn. P. minima L.
Recent introduction. Trop. America. Rare. Low, much-branched, somewhat
sprawling annual herb; leaves, 1.5 to 6 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide, mostly alternate,
oval-ovate, acute at both ends, margin entire or somewhat wavy, spreading pilose on both
surfaces; petioles, 0.5 to 3 cm long, slender; inflorescences, solitary, axillary; pedicels, 2
to 5 mm long, enlarging to 9 mm in fruit; calyx, short-spreading-pilose without,
glabrescent, green, inflated, enclosing but free from fruit; corolla, 4 to 6 mm across,
yellow, with a darker center with 5 very distinct brownish blotches; fruits, 5 to 7 mm in
diameter, berrylike, sessile, enclosed in a papery, inflated, bag-like calyx, 12 to 25 mm
long, ovoid acuminate, prominently 5-angled. Weed in low ground near Buada Lagoon.
3 (5 8646).
Solanum lycopersicum L. var. lycopersicum "tomato"
te tomato (K); tomato (T)
syns. Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.; L. lycopersicum (L.) Karst.
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Trop. America. Rare. Erect, pilose, glandular
herb, 0.5 to 2 m high, with capitate hairs on the younger parts, slightly succulent, solid
green stems, which sometimes becoming prostrate and spreading, a strong tap-root, and a
distinctive strong odor; leaves, 10 to 30 cm long and 6 to 20 cm wide, spirally arranged,
pinnate or bipinnate, with a terminal leaflet and equal or unequal smaller lateral leaflets
alternating with larger leaflets; petiole, 3 to 6 cm long; larger leaflets (major pinnae) 7 to
9, 5 to 10 cm long, opposite and/or alternate, usually irregularly toothed or incised,
sometimes pinnatifid, puberulent; inflorescences, extra axillary (opposite or between the
leaf axils), 4- to 12-flowered racemes, the individual flowers, about 2 cm in diameter,
pendent; pedicels, 1 to 2 cm long; calyx, 5- to 8-lobed, sepals, about 1 cm long, slender,
persistent, enlarging in fruit; corolla, about 1 cm long, rotate, 5- to 8-lobed, lobes,
lanceolate, stellate, later reflexed, yellow; stamens, 5 to 8 or 10; anthers, 5 mm long,
apical appendage 2 mm; ovary glabrous; fruit, 2 to 12 cm in diameter, subglobose,
-- usually depressed at both ends, a 3 to 12-celled berry, bright red or yellowish when ripe,
--
juicy, edible; seeds, many, 3 to 5 mm long and 2 to 4 mm wide, reniform, compressed,
silvery-pubescen t, light brown or yellowish. Food plant at Location and in expatriate
home gardens; spontaneous in waste heaps. 5, .