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Physalis longifolia

Nutt.

Longleaf Ground-cherry

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1334479
Element CodePDSOL0S5D0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSolanales
FamilySolanaceae
GenusPhysalis
Concept Reference
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 14. Magnoliophyta: Gentianaceae to Hydroleaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 505 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the broad treatment of Physalis longifolia that includes P. virginiana var. polyphylla (not accepted as distinct) and P. virginiana var. texana (accepted as P. longifolia var. texana), as recognized in Sullivan's FNA (2023, vol. 14) treatment. Other treatments (e.g., Kartesz 1994, 1999) recognize var. texana and var. polyphylla as a varieties of P. virginiana.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-09
Change Date2025-10-09
Edition Date2025-10-09
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Physalis longifolia is a wide-ranging perennial herb found in open woods, stream bottoms and banks, thickets, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities, fields, roadsides, and disturbed or cultivated sites. It occurs throughout much of North America, from Ontario, Canada, and Vermont, west to Washington, and south to Florida and California in the United States and Mexico. It is introduced in Australia. There are over 2,000 estimated occurrences. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and tolerance of light disturbance, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Physalis longifolia occurs throughout much of North America, from Ontario, Canada, and Vermont west to Washington and south to Florida and California in the United States and Chihuahua, Coahuila, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, and Sonora in Mexico. It is introduced in Australia (FNA 2023, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2025). Native range extent was estimated to be over 7 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025). See each of the varieties for more information.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 2,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this species is potentially threatened by development, agriculture and pasturage, rights-of-way maintenance, logging, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Physalis longifolia grows in open woods, stream bottoms and banks, thickets, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities, fields, roadsides, and disturbed or cultivated sites at 0 to 2700 m elevation (FNA 2023).

Reproduction

This species flowers from March through November (FNA 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralOld fieldCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
DelawareSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
ColoradoS4Yes
New JerseySNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
VermontS1Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
OregonSNANo
MarylandSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
UtahSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
NevadaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
MontanaSUYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
IowaSNRYes
New YorkSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (18)
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
CajaSanta Fe National Forest5,304
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
Oregon (6)
AreaForestAcres
BuckhornWallowa-Whitman National Forest17,180
Cook RidgeWallowa-Whitman National Forest19,617
Imnaha FaceWallowa-Whitman National Forest29,575
Lord Flat Somers PointWallowa-Whitman National Forest67,738
Mountain SheepWallowa-Whitman National Forest19,457
Snake RiverWallowa-Whitman National Forest31,229
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Utah (4)
AreaForestAcres
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 14. Magnoliophyta: Gentianaceae to Hydroleaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 505 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).