The Ethnobotany of Physalis longifolia, the Longleaf Groundcherry, and related Physalis species north of Mexico

The longleaf groundcherry, Physalis longifoliaNutt., and closely related species found north of Mexico have been an important wild-harvested food and medicinal plant group.  I will discuss the traditional uses for food and medicine, taxonomic difficulties, and our recent medicinal chemistry discoveries of these species. Subtle morphological differences recognized by taxonomists to distinguish these related taxa are confusing to botanists and ethnobotanists, and these differences are not recognized as important by native peoples.  The importance of wild Physalis species as food is reported by many tribes and its long history of use is evidenced by its frequent discovery in archaeological sites. These plants may have been cultivated by Pueblo farmers and other tribes. The importance of this plant as medicine is highlighted by its ethnobotanical history of use and our Native Medicinal Plant Research Program’s recent discovery of 13 new secondary compounds, some of which have potent anti-cancer activity.