Phil Bendle Collection:Nicandra physaloides (Apple of Peru)

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Nicandra
Species: N. physaloides
Binomial name: Nicandra physaloides
Common names: Apple of Peru. Shoo-fly plant

This plant is poisonous

Visit [[../plants-toxic-if-eaten-by-man.html|http://www.terrain.net.nz/friends-of-te-henui-group/plants-toxic-if-eaten-by-man.html]]

Nicandra is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family containing the single species Nicandra physaloides. It is a poisonous foul-smelling annual native to Peru, and it is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. It is also kept as an ornamental plant.
In New Zealand, it is found as a weed in waste places and arable land.
Plants grow to 1 metre tall and are vigorous with spreading branches and ovate, mid-green, toothed and waved leaves.
The flowers are bell-shaped and 5 centimetres or more across. They can be lavender white or blue with white throats. The flower becomes lantern-like towards the end of its bloom.
It has brown berries (1-2 cm) in a five-sided net-veined fruit capsule, similar to a Cape Gooseberry (Physalis peruviana).  
The plant is thought to have insect repellent properties. The genus is named for Greek poet Nicander, who wrote about plants.

[1]

Flower of the Apple of Peru
[2]

The flower has becomes lantern-like towards the end of its bloom.
[3]

The net viened swollen sepals containing a berry
[4]

[5]

Sepal opened up to show berry
[6] 

Dry mature berry 
[7]

The leaf of the Apple of Peru
[8] 

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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