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Physalis cordata Mill.
Heartleaf groundcherry

Physalis cordata
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007

Family: Solanaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Annual

Native Range: Southeastern United States, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

Florida Natural Areas Inventory State Status: Not listed

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Critically Imperiled

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

South Florida History and Distribution: Up to the time that Rare Plants of South Florida was published (Gann, Bradley & Woodmansee 2002), P. cordata had been recorded for South Florida only once, as a weed in urbanized Miami-Dade County (Avery 891 USF, collected in 1971). Subsequently, it was collected on a roadside in Collier County (Brockington 423 FLAS), and collected or observed by Jimi Sadle and colleagues in Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, including in native habitats. It appears to be an ephemeral and rare native component of our flora. See also, IRC’s report Vascular plant species of management concern in Everglades National Park (Gann 2015), page 186.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Other data on Physalis cordata available from :

Physalis cordata has been found in the following 4 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Muscara Reported
Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge Present Native

Physalis cordata has been found in the following 3 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Collier County Native
Miami-Dade County Presumed Extirpated Native Waif
Monroe County (Mainland) Native


All Images:

Physalis cordata
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007
Physalis cordata
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007
Physalis cordata
Copyright by: Jimi Sadle, 2007
In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida. Enlarge