Winter Cherry (Physalis angulata)

Cutleaf Groundcherry or Wild Tomato or Camapu or Winter Cherry (Physalis angulata), this is a kind of small herb that commonly grows as wild plant near to tropical forest, paddy field or garden which is rich with sunlight.  The fruit of this tree, when ripe covered by enlarged calyx. The fruit is popular with the kids. All parts of plants, from the leaves to the roots and usually dried for using as traditional medicine ingredients.

Characteristics of the tree:

One year old herb (annual plant), upright, normal height of about 1 m. Ribbed stem and sharp-pointed hollow, round egg-shaped leaves elongated, pointy from ,  leaves dimension about  2.5 to 10.5 × 5-15 cm. Flowers growing in the armpits, with upright stems, purplish, with a nod end. Pentagonal petals, green with purplish ribs. The form of crown is similar a bells, five shallow notched, light yellow to dark yellow and brown stains on the inside of the neck,  7-9 mm in height.   The color of stalk pollen is pale yellow, while the pollen heads light blue.

Fruit core contained in a bubble wrap egg-shaped petals tipped tapering, yellowish green, with purple ribs, 2-4 cm in length, yellowish when ripe, sweet and kids love.

This plant originated of America and spread to Pacific,  Australia and South East Asia. Well grows up to 1600 above the sea level.

This plant employed in herbal medicine systems, in some countries like Brazil, Peru, and Indonesia.

Physalis angulata leaf, useful as a cure for a broken bone, dropsy, boils, ulcers, heart booster, sprains,

stomach pain, and gonorrhea. While the fruit itself is often eaten directly to treat epilepsy, difficult urination, and jaundice.

Physalis angulata tree contains the active compounds include saponins (shoots), flavonoids (leaves and buds), polyphenols, and fisalin (fruit), Withangulatin A (fruit), palmitic acid and stearic (seed), alkaloids (root), Chlorogenik acid (stems and leaves), tannins (fruit), kriptoxantin (fruit), vitamin C and sugars (fruits). Can be used as antihiperglikemi, antibacterial, antiviral, immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive (immunomodulatory), anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and cytotoxic. Also as a laxative urine (diuretic), neutralize toxins, relieve cough, activate the glands of the body and anti-tumor.

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom: Plantae (Plants)
•       Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
•           Super Division: Spermatophyta (Produces seeds)
•               Division: Magnoliophyta (flowering plants)
•                   Class: Magnoliopsida (dashed two / dicots)
•                       Sub Class: Asteridae
•                           Order: Solanales
•                               Family: Solanaceae (tribe eggplants)
•                                   Genus: Physalis
•                                       Species: Physalis angulata.