Global description
Physalis angulata is an erect plant, glabrous, with simple, alternate leaves, with long stalk. The lamina is oval, apiculate at apex, attenuate base and with sinuous serrated margin. The flowers are solitary and campanulate. The fruit is a berry included in the calyx turned into pending vesicle. Seeds are lenticular.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are oval lanceolate. They are held by a pubescent petiole, 8 to 12 mm long. The leaf blade is glabrous, finely hairy on the margin, 6 mm long and 4 mm wide.
First leaves
The first leaves are simple and alternate. They are long-stalked. The lamina is oval to lanceolate, 2 to 3 cm long and 10 to 15 mm wide. The margin is sinuous to irregularly serrated. Both sides are glabrous with conspicuous ribs.
General habit
The plant is erect. It forms a small bush, abundantly branched, which can reach 90 cm high.
Underground system
The plant has a taproot system.
Stem
The stem is hollow and polygonal. It is totally glabrous.
Leaf
The leaves are simple and alternate. They are carried by petiole, 3 to 5 cm long. The lamina is oval to elliptical, apiculate at the apex and bottom attenuated in sharp corner. It is 7 to 12 cm long and 3 to 6 cm wide. The margin is sinuous and irregularly serrated, provided some short, white hairs. The leaf blade is marked with 4 to 6 pairs of pinnate venations. Both sides are glabrous, although some short white hairs are present along the veins of the lower face.
Inflorescence
The flowers are solitary and axillary, located at the intersection of the branches of the plant.
Flower
The flowers are supported by a glabrous peduncle, 7 to 10 mm long. The calyx, 3mm long, is composed of 5 sepals fused at the section of the base and ending in 5 triangular tines. Campanulate corolla, consisting of 5 fused petals. It is 7 to 8 mm large and creamy white with a purple spot at the base of the petals. 5 stamens are inserted into the corolla tube alternating with petals. The ovary has 2 loculus with many ovules.
Fruit
The fruit is a berry, 8 to 10 mm in diameter, yellow at maturity and containing many seeds. This berry is included in the calyx, which is turned into an obconical vesicle, pending, 2 cm wide and 2 to 3 cm long. This vesicle is first green and then turns brown and dries at maturity. It is traversed by 8 or 9 longitudinal ribs, connected by a network of thin ribs.
Seed
The seeds are flat and lenticular, with a diameter of 1 mm. The seed coat is orange and finely pitted.