Reproductive system and agronomic performance of the wild husk tomatillo Physalis gracilis.
7 affiliations
- 1Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Departamento Botánica y Zoología, Maestría en Biosistemática y Manejo de Recursos Naturales y Agrícolas, Instituto de Botánica, , Universidad de Guadalajara, Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, 45200, México.
- 2Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio Nacional de Identificación y Caracterización Vegetal (LaniVeg), Departamento Botánica y Zoología, Instituto de Botánica, Universidad de Guadalajara, Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, CP 45200, México.
- 3Grupo Académico Biología y Ecología de Artrópodos Benéficos, Departamento Ecología de Artrópodos y Manejo de Plagas, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Carretera Antiguo Aeropuerto km 2.5, Tapachula, CP 30700, México.
- 4Secretaría de Ciencias, Tecnología e Innovación (SECIHTI), Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Colonia Crédito Constructor, Alcaldía Benito Juárez, Humanidades, México City, CP 03940, México.
- 5Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio de Ecología, Departamento Ecología Aplicada, Universidad de Guadalajara, Conservación y Taxonomía (LEMITAX), Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, CP 45200, México.
- 6Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Depto. Producción agrícola, Universidad de Guadalajara, Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, CP 45200, México.
- 7Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Laboratorio Nacional de Identificación y Caracterización Vegetal (LaniVeg), Departamento Botánica y Zoología, Instituto de Botánica, Universidad de Guadalajara, Camino Ing. Ramón Padilla Sánchez 2100, Las Agujas, Zapopan, Jalisco, CP 45200, México. [email protected].
Abstract
Physalis gracilis is a wild perennial herb with sweet, orange-colored fruits harvested for household consumption in Mexico. For species with potential for cultivation and nutritional value, a basic information is known their reproductive system. This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive system of P. gracilis and its agronomic performance. Floral longevity and development stages were determined in 30 flower buds until floral senescence, using individuals grown under greenhouse and open-field conditions. Six artificial cross treatments were conducted to characterize the reproductive system, and self-incompatibility and pollen limitation indices were calculated. Stigma receptivity was assessed using hydrogen peroxide. To assess agronomic performance, an open-field crop was established within three accessions, each with 48 individuals (in total 144 plants); six descriptors were evaluated from five fruits per plant per descriptor. Artificial crossing showed that the three accessions exhibited a completely self-incompatible reproductive system; however, it was not pollen limitated. P. gracilis responded positively to agricultural management (93.8% plant survival) and showed a potential average yield of 8.178 t·ha- 1. Equatorial diameter of the fruit ranged from 11 to 22 mm. The average sweetness was 11.29° Brix, and the pH was 4.18. This study demonstrates that P. gracilis could be a candidate as a new open-field crop with desirable fruit traits, such as weight, size, and sweetness.
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BibTeX
@article{enriquezantonio2026reproductive,
title = {{Reproductive system and agronomic performance of the wild husk tomatillo Physalis gracilis.}},
author = {Omar Enríquez-Antonio and María Del Pilar Zamora-Tavares and Lislie Solís-Montero and Fabián A Rodríguez-Zaragoza and Carla Vanessa Sánchez-Hernández and Gabriela Alcalá-Gómez and José Alberto Sánchez-Nuño and Ofelia Vargas-Ponce},
journal = {Botanical studies},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s40529-026-00500-7},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873339},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reproductive system and agronomic performance of the wild husk tomatillo Physalis gracilis.
AU - Omar Enríquez-Antonio
AU - María Del Pilar Zamora-Tavares
AU - Lislie Solís-Montero
AU - Fabián A Rodríguez-Zaragoza
AU - Carla Vanessa Sánchez-Hernández
AU - Gabriela Alcalá-Gómez
AU - José Alberto Sánchez-Nuño
AU - Ofelia Vargas-Ponce
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Botanical studies
DO - 10.1186/s40529-026-00500-7
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873339
AB - Physalis gracilis is a wild perennial herb with sweet, orange-colored fruits harvested for household consumption in Mexico. For species with potential for cultivation and nutritional value, a basic information is known their reproductive system. This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive system of P. gracilis and its agronomic performance. Floral longevity and development stages were determined in 30 flower buds until floral senescence, using individuals grown under greenhouse and open-field conditions. Six artificial cross treatments were conducted to characterize the reproductive system, and self-incompatibility and pollen limitation indices were calculated. Stigma receptivity was assessed using hydrogen peroxide. To assess agronomic performance, an open-field crop was established within three accessions, each with 48 individuals (in total 144 plants); six descriptors were evaluated from five fruits per plant per descriptor. Artificial crossing showed that the three accessions exhibited a completely self-incompatible reproductive system; however, it was not pollen limitated. P. gracilis responded positively to agricultural management (93.8% plant survival) and showed a potential average yield of 8.178 t·ha- 1. Equatorial diameter of the fruit ranged from 11 to 22 mm. The average sweetness was 11.29° Brix, and the pH was 4.18. This study demonstrates that P. gracilis could be a candidate as a new open-field crop with desirable fruit traits, such as weight, size, and sweetness.
SN - 1817-406X
SN - 1999-3110
ER -