Wednesday's Wildflower: Coastal Groundcherry
Coastal Groundcherry, Physalis augustifolia submitted by Carol Tebay, Longleaf Pine Chapter I spent my first winter on the Intercoastal Waterway at Big Lagoon in Escambia County getting to know some of the plants in this scrub dune habitat. I spotted one plant I couldn't identify. Then, in April, while searching the internet to identify some tracks I’d found in the sand, I came across a list of plants that beach mice depend on for food. I’d recently spotted one of them, the Coastal Groundcherry, Physalis angustifolia (narrow-leaved). In this harsh, coastal environment, where I tower over many mature runner oaks, Coastal Groundcherry hugs the ground. Just the right height for a tiny beach mouse. The Groundcherry is a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Photo by Carol Tebay According to the Atlas of Florida Plants , there are ten native species of Physalis growing in Florida. While Coastal Groundcherry seems to prefer Gulf Coast counties...