Cape gooseberry

Appearance

"P. peruviana" is closely related to the tomatillo and the Chinese lantern, also members of the genus "Physalis". 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. Despite its name, it is not botanically related to other gooseberries.

"P. peruviana" is an annual in temperate locations, but perennial in the tropics. As a perennial, it develops into a diffusely branched shrub reaching 1–1.6 m in height, with spreading branches and velvety, heart-shaped leaves. The hermaphrodite flowers are bell-shaped and drooping, 15–20 mm across, yellow with purple-brown spots internally. After the flower falls, the calyx expands, ultimately forming a beige husk fully enclosing the fruit.

The fruit is a round, smooth berry, resembling a miniature yellow tomato 1.25–2 cm wide. Removed from its calyx, it is bright yellow to orange in color, and sweet when ripe, with a characteristic, mildly tart tomato flavor.

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. For example, in Hawaii is known as "poha berry". In northeastern China Heilongjiang Province, it is informally referred to as "deng long guo". In French, it is called "amour en cage", as well as other possible names, such as Peruvian "coqueret, alkékenge, lanterne chinoise", "cerise de terre", or tomatillo.

Habitat

In the wild, Cape gooseberry grows in forests, forest margins, riparian and uncultivated locations. In South America, it grows at high elevations of 500–3,000 m, but may also be at sea level in Oceania and Pacific islands where it occurs widely in subtropical and warm, temperate conditions. Its latitude range is about 45 to 60, and its altitude range is generally from sea level to 3,000 m. "P. peruviana" thrives at an annual average temperature from 13–18 °C, tolerating temperatures as high as 30 °C. It grows well in Mediterranean climates and is hardy to USDA hardiness zone 8, meaning it can be damaged by frost. It grows well in rainfall amounts from 800–4,300 mm if the soil is well drained, and prefers full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil, and grows vigorously in sandy loam. The plant has become invasive in some natural habitats, forming thickets, particularly in Hawaii and on other Pacific islands.

The plant is readily grown from seeds, which are abundant, but with low germination rates, requiring thousands of seeds to sow a hectare. 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.

Uses

"P. peruviana" is an economically useful crop as an exotic exported fruit, and is favored in breeding and cultivation programs of many countries. "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.

Cape gooseberry is made into fruit-based sauces, pies, puddings, chutneys, jams, and ice cream, or eaten fresh in salads and fruit salads. 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.

In basic research on fruit maturation, the content of polyphenols and vitamin C varied by cultivar, harvest time, and ripening stage. The fruit has a limited history for treating disorders in traditional medicine.