Physalis peruviana, a plant species of the genus Physalis in the nightshade family Solanaceae, has its origin in Peru. The plant and its fruit are commonly called Cape gooseberry, goldenberry, and physalis, among numerous regional names. The history of Physalis cultivation in South America can be traced to Inca Indians. It has been cultivated in England since the late 18th century, and in South Africa in the Cape of Good Hope since at least the start of the 19th century. Widely introduced in the 20th century, P. peruviana is cultivated or grows wild across the world in temperate and tropical regions.
P. peruviana is an economically useful crop as an exotic exported fruit and favored in breeding and cultivation programs in many countries.
P. peruviana is closely related to the tomatillo and the Chinese lantern, also members of the genus Physalis.[2] As a member of the plant family Solanaceae, it is more distantly related to a large number of edible plants, including tomato, eggplant, potato, and other members of the nightshades.[2] Despite its name, it is not botanically related to other gooseberries.
P. peruviana is an annual in temperate locations, but perennial in the tropics.[2] As a perennial, it develops into a diffusely branched shrub reaching 1–1.6 m (3.3–5.2 ft) in height, with spreading branches and velvety, heart-shaped leaves.[3] The hermaphrodite flowers are bell-shaped and drooping, 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) across, yellow with purple-brown spots internally. After the flower falls, the calyx expands, ultimately forming a beige husk fully enclosing the fruit.[2][3]
The fruit is a round, smooth berry, resembling a miniature yellow tomato 1.25–2 cm (0.49–0.79 in) wide.[3] Removed from its calyx, it is bright yellow to orange in color, and sweet when ripe, with a characteristic, mildly tart tomato flavor.[2]
A prominent feature is the inflated, papery calyx enclosing each berry. The calyx is accrescent until the fruit is fully grown; at first, it is of normal size, but after the petals fall, it continues to grow until it forms a protective cover around the growing fruit. If the fruit is left inside the intact calyx husks, its shelf life at room temperature is about 30–45 days. The calyx is inedible.
P. peruviana has dozens of common names across the world in its regions of distribution.[3] For example, in Hawaii is known as poha berry. In northeastern China Heilongjiang Province, it is informally referred to as deng long guo.[3] In French, it is called amour en cage("love in a cage"), as well as other possible names, such as Peruvian coqueret, alkékenge, lanterne chinoise ("Chinese lantern") (Physalis alkekengi), cerise de terre ("earth cherry"), or tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica).[7]
Native to the mountain slope regions of Peru and Chile[2] where the fruit grows wild. Physalis is locally consumed and sold in western South America. It has been widely introduced into cultivation in other tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas such as Australia, China, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines.[2][3][8]
The plant was grown in England in 1774 and by early settlers of the Cape of Good Hope before 1807.[2] Whether it was grown there before its introduction to England is not known, but sources since the mid-19th century attribute the common name, "Cape gooseberry" to this fact.[9][10] One suggestion is that the name properly refers to the calyx surrounding the fruit like a cape, possibly an example of false etymology, because it does not appear in publications earlier than the mid-20th century. Not long after its introduction to South Africa, P. peruviana was introduced into Australia, New Zealand, and various Pacific islands.[2]
In the wild, Cape gooseberry grows in forests, forest margins, riparian and uncultivated locations.[3] In South America, it grows at high elevations of 500–3,000 m (1,600–9,800 ft), but may also be at sea level in Oceania and Pacific islands where it occurs widely in subtropical and warm, temperate conditions.[3] Its latitude range is about 45 to 60, and its altitude range is generally from sea level to 3,000 m (9,800 ft).[3] P. peruviana thrives at an annual average temperature from 13–18 °C (55–64 °F), tolerating temperatures as high as 30 °C (86 °F).[3] It grows well in Mediterranean climates and is hardy to USDA hardiness zone 8, meaning it can be damaged by frost.[3] It grows well in rainfall amounts from 800–4,300 mm (31–169 in) if the soil is well drained, and prefers full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil, and grows vigorously in sandy loam.[2][3] The plant has become invasive in some natural habitats, forming thickets, particularly in Hawaii and on other Pacific islands.[3]
The plant is readily grown from seeds, which are abundant (100 to 300 in each fruit), but with low germination rates, requiring thousands of seeds to sow a hectare.[2] Year-old stem cuttings treated with hormones to promote rooting are successful for planting, but have a lower rate of success than growing from seed.[2]
In South Africa, cutworms attack the Cape gooseberry in seedbeds, red spiders in the field, and potato tuber moths near potato fields. Hares damage young plants, and birds eat the fruits. Mites, whiteflies, and flea beetles can be problematic.[2] Powdery mildew, soft brown scale, root rot, and viruses may affect plants.[2] In New Zealand, plants can be infected by Candidatus liberibacter subsp. solanacearum.
P. peruviana is an economically useful crop as an exotic exported fruit, and is favored in breeding and cultivation programs of many countries.[3] P. peruviana fruits are marketed in the United States as goldenberry and sometimes Pichuberry, named after Machu Picchu in order to associate the fruit with its origin in Peru.[12]
Cape gooseberry is made into fruit-based sauces, pies, puddings, chutneys, jams, and ice cream, or eaten fresh in salads and fruit salads.[2] Because of the fruit's decorative appearance in its showy husk, it is popular in restaurants as an exotic garnish for desserts. To enhance its food uses, hot air drying improved qualities of dietary fiber content, texture, and appearance.[13]
In basic research on fruit maturation, the content of polyphenols and vitamin C varied by cultivar, harvest time, and ripening stage.[14] The fruit has a limited history for treating disorders in traditional medicine.[2]
According to nutrient analyses by the USDA, a 100 g serving of Cape gooseberries is low in energy (53 kcal) and contains moderate levels of vitamin C, thiamin, and niacin, while other nutrients are negligible (see table).[15] Analyses of oil from different berry components, primarily its seeds, showed that linoleic acid and oleic acid were the main fatty acids, beta-sitosterol and campesterolwere principal phytosterols, and the oil contained vitamin K and beta-carotene.[16]
Basic research on Cape gooseberry includes studies on polyphenols and/or carotenoids.
To find the tracking number, see picture number 2
Important notice for buyers from Brazil and Mexico:
1. Remember that we are sending the shipment as a registered shipment (with signature confirmation) and that it can be given only by the one to whom the shipment is addressed, and that it must be signed by this person.
2. Ordering:
Always write your mobile number with the country code. Sample: +365 456 7686 576
You will receive an email notification for each step regarding your order. If you do not receive the notification, check your Spam / Junk folder, or contact your Email provider.
Once we have sent your order, you will be able to find a shipment tracking number in your order history. Keep tracking of your order using the tracking number (we cannot do that for you).
Be sure to register a valid e-mail address. You will receive notification of your order at this email address.
3. Please do not order from our site if you want to receive a shipment in a Post office box, or if you are not at home. If you do order and the shipping address is a P.O. box, and you don't get your package or the package gets lost, you lose the right to a refund.
Do not make an order from our site and leave a message: "Leave the parcel at my neighbor's house if I am not at home (read 1.) (We cannot do it)."
4. If your package comes back to us, we need to pay a return shipping fee. This means that if you want us to re-send your package, you have to pay the return shipping fee as well as the postage for sending it again.
5. If you see that tracking shows that the shipment is still in the place from where it was sent, it means only that the shipment is in transit, and other post offices and countries where the shipment is currently located do not provide data. We advise you in this case to ALWAYS CONTACT your post with a tracking number and ask them about your package.
We are not a post, so we cannot give you an answer where your parcel is located, even post cannot tell you this so long is shipment in transit.
WE ARE NOT A POST AND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERY TIMES.
First of all, keep in mind that shipments around the world are delayed due to the situation with the coronavirus.
If you didn't get your package, We can submit a request for investigation only after 30 days have passed from the date of sending. That's why we recommend Insured shipping.
1. Priority delivery (with priority order processing):
Shipped within 1-7 business days maximum. (In some cases, there may be a delay in delivery with a delay of 3 to 10 days. Especially during the season, holidays, or public holidays.).
This means that Priority Delivery orders will be processed first from our site. Not that you will receive the order in the time it takes to process the order.
2. Secured delivery (with priority processing):
Order value up to 150 €, safe delivery. This is the safest delivery, and if the post office loses your package they will refund you.
3. Standard delivery:
Shipped within 7-10 business days. (In some cases, there may be a delay of delivery with a delay of 7 to 14 days. Especially during the season, holidays, or public holidays.)
Shipping and handling costs will be calculated automatically when ordering, and the rate depends on the weight of the parcel and the country to which it is sent.
Please note that on Saturday and Sunday we do not process orders.
1. Payment by Bank Transfer
2. Payment via PayPal
3. Payment by card on our other site https://www.exotic-seeds.store
4. Payment with cryptocurrencies Bitcoin
5. Payment by Westernunion, Moneygram
Read below for more information:
1. PAYMENT WITH BANK ACCOUNT SEPA / IBAN-SWIFT-BIC
We have several bank accounts (across the world) where you can make a payment from your local bank account without high fee provision.
Please specify your order reference in the bank payment description. (Sample "SGS-19811702") If you do not write an order reference, it can cause the problem so that we cannot find who made the payment... Always write ORDER REFERENCE.
Our system will automatically cancel the order if we have not received bank payment within 7 days.
2. PAYMENT WITH PAYPAL
For PayPal, we accept only Euro, so if you want to pay with PayPal you must change the currency in the Euro.
3. PAYMENT WITH CARDS
If you want to make a payment by card, you have to make an order on our website https://www.exotic-seeds.store/
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, CB (Cartes Bancaires), Diners Club / Discover, China UnionPay, JCB, Discovers
4. PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM
These options are available only for countries from 3rd world countries (Africa...), for other countries send us an inquiry.
As a customer, you are obliged to pay all transaction fees.
You must provide us with transaction details so that we can know that you have made the payment, as well as to withdraw the money for your order.
Please note that if you want to pay for the order this way, you are obliged to pay within 3 days.
If we do not receive your payment within 3 days, your order will be canceled and you will no longer have the option to order again with Western Union or MoneyGram.
Our system will automatically cancel the order if we have not received bank payment within 7 days.
Please always read here important notices (if there are any) to see if we maybe have the vacation or anything else in the time you ordered the seeds from us: Important Notices
Some of the products that are not in stock and their quantity is limited, you can order. But you'll have to wait up to 30 days until we get the seeds from our supplier.
If you order other products that are available, along with products that are not currently in stock, your order will be sent only when we receive a seed that is currently not available and you have ordered it.
