Physalis alkekengi - Bladder cherry

Physalis alkekengi

Physalis alkekengi (bladder cherry, Chinese lantern, Japanese-lantern, strawberry groundcherry, or winter cherry) is a relative of P. peruviana (Cape gooseberry). It is easily identifiable by the large, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resembles paper lanterns.

Uses

Tentex forte, Muscle & Joint Rub, Impotency & Erectile dysfunction, Diarrhoea, Pharyngitis & Sore Throat, Toothache, Pyorrhea, Common Cold, Childhood apraxia of speech, Delayed Speech Development.

Parts Used

Roots, Leaves, Fruit.

Chemical Composition

Like a number of other species in the genus Physalis, it contains a wide variety of physalins. When isolated from the plant, these have antibacterial and leishmanicidal activities in vitro.It also contains caffeic acid ethyl ester, dehydro-physalin L, physalin D, and cuneataside E

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada
Hindi	Akarkara
Malayalam	Akkarakaaram
Tamil
Telugu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Akarkarabh
English	Pellitory

Habit

Perennial herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Smooth	Alternate, Pinnate	Alternate or opposite, stalked. Leaf blade widely ovate, usually blunt-based, with entire margins–sparsely large-toothed, sparsely short-haired

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	15–20 mm (0.6–0.8 in.) wide	yellowish white	Stamens 5	Regular (actinomorphic), fused, wheel-shaped, 5-lobed, underside hairy. Calyx fused, 5-lobed, initially campanulate, green; spreading, concealing berries after flowering, eventually 25–50 mm (1–2 in.) long, oval, yellowish red, anthers tight against corolla tube

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
spherical	15 mm (0.6 in.) long berry	Fruiting time: July–August	seeds many, ovoid.		{{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

It is a popular ornamental plant, though it can be invasive with its wide-spreading root system sending up new shoots some distance from where it was originally planted. In various places around the world, it has escaped from cultivation.

Commonly seen growing in areas

wasteland, gardens, Ornamental.

Photo Gallery

• 

  Var. depressus

• 

  same plant, flower detail

• 

  Var. depressus, flowers closed