Bambhutka / Cape Gooseberry
Physalis peruviana
Also known as Peruvian Groundcherry
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sikkim & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
How to identify Bambhutka
Identify Bambhutka 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: Cordate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Pubescent.
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm fruit type: Berry.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: Throughout the year.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sikkim, West Bengal and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Physalis peruviana
- Genus
- Physalis
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Naturalized in Tropics
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sikkim, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- CordaterecordedHeart-shaped, with a notch at the base.“As a perennial, it develops into a diffusely branched shrub reaching 1–1.6 m (3 ft 3 in – 5 ft 3 in) in height, with spreading branches and velvety, heart-shaped leaves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- PubescentrecordedCovered in short, soft hairs.“As a perennial, it develops into a diffusely branched shrub reaching 1–1.6 m (3 ft 3 in – 5 ft 3 in) in height, with spreading branches and velvety, heart-shaped leaves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bambhutka itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Fruit type
- BerryrecordedA fleshy fruit with seeds embedded directly in the pulp, no central stone.“The fruit is a round, smooth berry, resembling a miniature yellow tomato 1.25–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4 in) wide.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Bambhutka itself; the rest are typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- बमभुटका Bambhutka, चिरपोटी Chirpoti, पटपोटनी Patpotni,मक्को makko
- Nepali
- इश्मगोल Ishmagol, जंगली मेवा Jangali Mewaa, रसभरी Rasabharee
- Bengali
- টেপাৰি Tepari
- Tamil
- பெரியதக்காளி Periya-Takkali, பிள்ளைத்தக்காளி
- Telugu
- బుడమ Budama, బుడ్డబూషర Buddabusara, బూసరకాయ Busarakaaya
- Kannada
- ದೊಡ್ಡ ಬೊಂಡುಳ ಗಿಡ Dodda Bondula Gida, ದೊಡ್ಡ ಬುಡ್ಡೆ ಗಿಡ Dodda Budde Gida, ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟೆ ಗಿಡ Dodda Guppatte Gida
- Malayalam
- കരിമ്പൊട്ടി Karimpotti, മലതക്കാളിക്കീര Malathakkaalikkeera, പൊട്ടപ്പാലച്ചെടി Pottappalachedi
- Marathi
- पोपटी Popti
About Bambhutka
A member of the Solanaceae family, Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sikkim and 15 other states. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Uses
Locally it is grown for parts that are eaten and stripped for fibre used in rope and matting.
Solanaceae
Nightshade/Tomato family
Bambhutka belongs to the Solanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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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.
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