Physalis – what is it, edible and decorative types, useful properties and harm of berries

The content of the article

• Physalis plant
• What does it look like
• Where grows
• Types of Physalis
• Decorative
• Food
• Physalis edible
• What is useful
• How is physalis
• Harm and contraindications

Our country is notable for its natural diversity and richness of the healing properties of plants, but it is worth learning about interesting representatives of the flora of other countries and continents that can be grown in our conditions. One of these plants is physalis, the largest species diversity of which grows in the countries of South and Central America. It is known to most people for its orange or bright red berries, similar to Chinese paper lanterns..

Physalis plant

Physalis (from the Latin Physalis – bubble) is a tomato genus of plants in the nightshade family. It is popularly known under the names “emerald berry”, “earthen cranberries”, “vesicle”, “marunka”, “song cherry”. Many people know it as a decorative element with bright lanterns, which are fused sepals. After flowering, the calyx grows faster than the fetus, forming a natural defense. In the homeland of origin (in South America) the “cover” protects the ripening berries from the hot sun. After ripening, it dries and changes color..

What does it look like

Physalis is a perennial plant that each year gives new angularly curved erect shoots up to 1 m high from the root. The root system is branched, with woody creeping processes, therefore physalis grows in large bushes. Leaves are egg-shaped, soft, serrated at the edges. From the bud appears a pale yellow five-lobed flower that resembles a bell. After flowering, a spherical fruit appears, which immediately closes with sepals, forming a bell-shaped cup with triangular teeth.

When ripe, the color of the cup changes from light green to red, orange or violet, which depends on the variety, the place of growth of the plant. Ripening berries change color from green to bright yellow or orange. In appearance, they are very similar to cherry tomatoes. Inside they are fleshy, with scattered bones. There are berry and vegetable varieties of physalis, so many summer residents know it as a berry, unpretentious, well-bearing plant. In addition to decorative functions, it is eaten, healing properties are used in medicine.

Where grows

The native habitats of the physalis are South and Central America – from here it was brought to North America and Southern Europe. The appearance of “Physalis vulgaris” showed resistance to cooling, due to which it spread to China and Japan, here they recognized it as one of the important decorative elements at the holidays. The ability to tolerate cold made it possible for many years to grow in temperate countries. In Russia, varietal cultivation is carried out through seedlings in a fertile soil mixture for tomatoes and peppers..

Types of Physalis

There are about 120 varieties of physalis, a common feature of which is 5-10 lobed flower. When ripe, it takes on various bright colors that are preserved after drying and are used for decorative purposes when creating ikebana, bouquets. Berries of decorative varieties of the vesicle have a bitter taste, are not used for cooking. This is one of the few plants among which there are berry and vegetable varieties among edible varieties. In consistency and taste, they are more like vegetables, but in the biological structure of the bush – like berries.

Decorative

The cultivation of decorative varieties of physalis dates back to 1894. Decorative physalis has the names Alkekengi (Physalis alkekengi) or Franchet (Physalis francheti), received the name in honor of Rene Franchet. The French botanist was the first to study this plant. The basis of the decorative interest in the variety is flat flower-lanterns with a diameter of 6-7 cm. 10-15 lanterns can be located on a stem up to 90 cm long. Fruits of decorative varieties are poisonous, therefore not suitable for food.

Food

The vesicles used in food are subdivided into vegetable and berry. Vegetable or Mexican, glutinous, Physalis ixocarpa Brot. used raw and for canning, cooking. The fruit of the Mexican physalis has a bitter-tasting adhesive film sheath, which is easily removed by blanching (dissolving in hot water). Berry varieties are Peruvian (Physalis peruviana), strawberry (Physalis pubescens). They do not have a bitter adhesive film, they are used for making jams, compotes.

Physalis edible

The edible varieties of the vesicle do not have such bright colors as the case of decorative varieties. The berry is large, has a bright sweet taste, and can be consumed by children and adults without heat treatment. The most famous edible varieties are:

• Strawberry;
• Pineapple
• Confectioner;
• Plum jam.

To understand the usefulness of a plant, it is worth analyzing the composition of fruits that contain sugar, pectins, quercetin, tannins, volatile, citric, malic, succinic, tartaric, synapic, ferulic and coffee organic acids. In addition, berries are a multivitamin complex rich in trace elements (thiamine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus) and include:

• 32 calories per 100 g;
• cholesterol – 0%;
• potassium – 8%;
• Vitamin C – 20%;
• Vitamin K – 13%;
• Vitamin B6 – 3%;
• Vitamin A – 2%.

What is useful

The beneficial properties of physalis are complemented by a wide range of healing components of the remaining parts of this plant. The roots contain several types of alkaloids – pseudotropin, tegloidin, tropin, kuskigrin. The leaves are saturated with steroids – sitosterol, campesterol and isofucosterol. Some varieties contain carotenoids – alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin ether, cryptoxanthin, physoxanthin. Seeds can produce up to 25% fatty oil.

All parts of the plant are widely used to create therapeutic drugs and preventive agents in traditional medicine. Physalis-based medicines have the following healing properties:

• have diuretic and choleretic properties;
• relieve inflammation, anemia;
• have a hemostatic, antiseptic, analgesic effect;
• help against hypertension, gastric ulcer, chronic cholecystitis, hypoacid gastritis;
• used to prevent metabolic disorders.

The fruits of the vesicle contain antioxidants that prevent the mutation of healthy cells and degeneration in cancer. To maximize the use of all the healing components of the plant at home, you can prepare:

• decoction of physalis fruits – for the treatment of kidney disease, kidney stone disease, bladder, gout, for the treatment of bronchitis, tracheitis, cough, other diseases of the respiratory tract, with pain attacks, spasms of the stomach, intestines;
• diuretic tea – with cholelithiasis, cystitis;
• juice from fresh fruits – applied externally for fungal skin diseases;
• physalis-based liniment – in the treatment of rheumatism;
• wine tincture – in the treatment of kidney disease;
• alcohol tincture – for the treatment and prevention of rash, fungal skin diseases.

How is physalis

Plants that have vegetable and berry fruits are rare. Physalis has different uses in cooking. Berry physalis contains a high concentration of pectin, which increases the gelling properties, promotes the use in the preparation of jams, jelly, preserves, sweets, candied fruits, candies, pastille. All of these products can be preserved, they will be well preserved until the next harvest. Dried or dried fruits are used instead of raisins when baking pies, creating puddings, desserts. Vegetable varieties are used for cooking:

• first courses;
• vegetable caviar, sauces;
• canned food in salted, soaked, pickled form.

Harm and contraindications

Physalis fruits are covered with adhesive film, so the use without preliminary blanching will give the berries a bitter aftertaste that can cause disorders, nausea, diarrhea. The multivitamin complex of the plant is indicated for many diseases, but a high sugar content can be dangerous for diabetics. Organic acids can have a negative effect on people with high acidity. Fruits of decorative varieties look like edible, but are poisonous. Physalis-based drugs must be controlled by doctors.