I should like to warn you all; that this plant is poisonous...!
Physalis alkekengi or Japanese: hōzuki is a relative of P. peruviana (Cape Gooseberry), easily identifiable by the large, bright orange papery covering over its fruit, resembling Chinese lanterns. Native to S.Europe thro to Japan. Herbaceous perennial growing to 60cm tall, with spirally arranged leaves 6-12cm long and 4-9cm broad. White flowers with a five-lobed corolla 10-15mm across, inflated basal calyx which matures into the papery lantern 4-5cm long %26amp; broad.
NB: It is not a Cape Gooseberry to be dipped into chocolate...!
The very ripe fruit (not the lantern) is edible but doesn't taste good. It is sour, having more vitamin C than lemons. The rest of the plant, especially the leaves and unripe berries, are poisonous and can even be fatal if eaten, contains solanine, which makes potatoes green and tomato leaves poisonous.
email me for more info
Lou
Physalis alkekengi - cn: Japanese or Chinese Lantern?
That's good stuff Lou - but even though this is Yahoo! Answers... you are meant to pose a question to be answered rather than an answer to a possible question. :-)
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