At one of the entrances to Crouch Gardens from East Street, an exotic “Physalis peruviana”[1] plant appeared in September (or was planted?).
Also known as Cape Gooseberry, the orange berries inside the red papery sheaths or “lanterns” are edible and they are related to tomatoes in the nightshade family. They are decorative so they have been planted as garden annuals since they were first introduced in late 18th – early 19th century. That was either from South America where they are native or from South Africa where they were cultivated. The Chinese Lantern Bush, “Physalis alkekengi”[2] has similar lanterns but it forms a perennial bush and the fruit is pretty tasteless. It is native in Europe and Asia. Selective breeding has produced a wide variation in the colours of the lantern in both species.
Many garden plants escape “over the wall” to appear as “casuals in grass verges or pavement cracks. This one came up on the East Street pavement. Physalis seeds, at least in horticulture, need a warm temperature to germinate so if a berry “goes wild” its seeds will most likely germinate in the same summer (as did this one) and the plant itself will rarely survive winter frosts. Thus the Cape Gooseberry rarely becomes established (defined as reproducing for more than one season). The plant is classed as “garden escape, casual” for the purposes of botanical recording. As noted, it is an annual.
Besides that, it is dangerous out there!. East Street is a major pedestrian route from Seaford Head School and the pavements are not wide. Although this specimen flowered and set seed, it was trodden on while the lanterns were still green. Safer in the garden!
By contrast .. this prickly specimen may well make it. It is a Mediterranean Thistle – Galactites tomentosa[3]. As a species, this has become “established” as defined above and can be classified as a “Neophyte” i.e. a new member of GB flora[4], at least here in Southern England. It is not usually used as a garden plant. However it’s seeds are part of many wild bird mixtures and that may be the source of this specimen (“bird seed alien”). which is growing at the base of the chain-link fencing near the station and away from any other established groups that I could find. The flower is quite attractive and more like a cornflower than a thistle but the so-called bracts that form a leafy cup around each flower head are very prickly as are the proper leaves. Leaf stalks bear the matted or felted hairs (the tomentose character)
Mediterranean Thistles can be annual or biennial. This specimen was pictured in November so it will most likely not flower until next season. If you feed garden birds and some of these come up, see how they do before weeding them out.
[1] Physalis comes from Greek for bellows from the shape of the inflated “lantern”. peruviana from Peru fom where it was taken to south Africa for cultivation.
[2] alkakengi was the name given by the classical Romano-Greek physician Dioscorides. It is a Greek derivation of a Persian name for plants of the nightshade family.
[3] Galactites milk-like from the white patches and veins, tomentosa matted hairs from Latin for “padding”
[4] In this respect “new” can mean alien species that have become established in British Isles since 1500.
Brian Livingstone
