Popti / Sunberry
Physalis angulata
Also known as Country Gooseberry
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- July-December
How to identify Popti
Identify Popti by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Confirm leaf shape: Ovate.
- Confirm leaf margin: Toothed.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm fruit type: Papery-husked berry.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-December.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Physalis angulata
- Genus
- Physalis
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Moist localities in plains, degraded forests and waste places
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Tropical Asia, Africa and Australia
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Mizoram, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Tripura
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Its leaves are dark green and roughly ovate, often with serrate margins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“Its leaves are dark green and roughly ovate, often with serrate margins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- HirsuterecordedCovered in coarse, stiff, bristly hairs.“Its leaves are dark green and roughly ovate, often with serrate margins.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Popti itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded“The flowers are five-sided and pale yellow;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit type
- Papery-husked berryrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Popti itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- മൊട്ടാമ്പുളി
- Marathi
- Popti
About Popti
Sunberry (Physalis angulata) belongs to the Solanaceae family, where it grows as a herb. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and 25 other states. It grows in moist localities in plains, degraded forests and waste places. Flowering and fruiting run from July to December.
Solanaceae
Nightshade/Tomato family
Popti belongs to the Solanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Solanaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides