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Yellow and Orange Wildflower Gallery

Nightshade Family

        

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Buffalo-bur Solanum rostratum
Flower about 1" wide. Yellow, banana-shaped anthers spread apart, one is often wider and darker. Fruit are covered in long spines. Leaves are deeply lobed to the midrib, rounded. Plant grows to about 12" tall and is wider than tall. Long thin thorns cover the stems.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004
(Native of Texas - Taylor, etc.)
See similar Horse Nettle

              

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Clammy Ground-cherry Physalis heterophylla
Flower about 1/2"-3/4" wide, yellow/green with large burgundy center star. Flower often grows face down. Leaves are fuzzy. Leaves have irregular pointy teeth. Plant shown is 18" tall. Bracts lengthen and join to form a loose bell (Chinese lantern) for the seed.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April & June 2005
(Native of Texas)

           

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Beach Ground-cherry (Smallflower Ground-cherry) Physalis cinerascens
Flower about 1/2"-3/4" wide, yellow/green with burgundy center star. Flower grows face down. Leaves are fuzzy, very fuzzy when small. Leaves have irregular rounded teeth. Bracts lengthen and join to form a loose, five sided bell for the seed, 1/2" long. Sprawling to mounding plant, 4 feet wide and 18" tall.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April & September 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Brown)

Similar Species

Cutleaf Ground-cherry (Purple-vein Ground-cherry) Physalis angulata
Tiny flower with brown center star, blue anthers. Flower grows face down. Bract and fruit balloon (calix) have dark red stripes. Fruit is a small yellow tomato, edible. Leaves are narrower and have irregular pointy teeth.
(Native of Texas - Brown)

Ivyleaf Ground-cherry Physalis hederifolia
Center can be light to dark brown. Petal edges are often rolled back.  Heart shaped leaves with small irregular pointy or rounded teeth.
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Long-leaf Ground-cherry Physalis longifolia
Flower grows face down. Solid maroon center, color seeps to the back. Large bracts. Leaves are narrow, smooth edge or small irregular rounded teeth. Stems are angular and have maroon streaks. Form has a central trunk and branches at top or can sprawl.
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Smooth Ground-cherry Physalis mollis
Leaves have irregular rounded teeth.
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

     

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Hairy Five Eyes (False Nightshade) Chamaesaracha sordida
Flower grows from axils, 3/8"-3/4" wide, light yellow with dark star with green center fading to light brown. Flowers, stems and leaves hairy. Leaves are lobed, wavy edge, 1"-1 1/2" long. Low growing with deep roots.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004, September 2005 (Native of Texas - Taylor)

Similar Species

Edwards Plateau Five Eyes Chamaesaracha edwardsiana
Flower's star has more white in center. Leaves are not lobed and not crinkled.
(Native of Texas, hill country)

           

Solanaceae - Nightshade family (Potato family)
Gray Five Eyes Chamaesaracha coniodes
Flower on a long stem, light yellow with gray/white center, dark star with green center fading to light brown. Irregularly lobed leaves, not wavy edged. Simi-upright.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April 2004, September 2005
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Similar Species

Trans-Pecos Five Eyes (Woolly False Nightshade) Chamaesaracha villosa
This is the species listed in the books but it is not in my area.
(Native of Texas - Rio Grand)