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 Phil Bendle Collection:Poisonous Plants in New Zealand
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.
The flower has becomes lantern-like towards the end of its bloom.
The net viened swollen sepals containing a berry
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/