Most of the plants that have grown or are growing in our home , have been the result of my curiosity to see what happens if I bury this in soil.
Let's sow this and see what happens is the one line that often crosses my mind whenever I see things like budding rhizomes or bulbs or discarded ripe seeds or fruits that are about to rot. Colocasia, turmeric, ginger, maize, ladyfinger, chillies, tomatoes, garlic, fenugreek, bitter gourd, potatoes are some of the plants that I have been able to grow because of my curiosity. Most of them have been fruitful ventures, however, a few did not even bear flowers. But there were two instances that left me completely surprised. First was when I grew maize and second was Cape gooseberry. Surprised because I did not know that they can grow in your home. I had seen maize only in huge fields spread over acres. And about Cape Gooseberry, I had no idea where it came from. But growing these plants and watching them grow and change everyday was a delight to the senses. Their flowering and fruiting has such unusual characteristics as if telling a story. They awaken in you that child who wants to know what will happen next.
Cape gooseberry known as Rasbhari is among those fruits that come in the market for a short span of time. By mid February it is a common sight to see fruit sellers displaying bunches of these marble sized, orange, juicy fruit that look so exotic. But after a couple of weeks , they disappear just like they came ,all of a sudden. But their smell and sweet n sour taste lingers on your tongue for a long time.
Just like we've attempted to grow tomato plants by throwing away rotting tomatoes in soil, similar was the way how I grew Rasbhari. After several of my recent attempts to have tomato laden plants in my home failed, there was some apprehension in my mind as to whether I would get any positive result with its family member or not ( both tomatoes and cape gooseberry belong to the same family Solanaceae, the potato family). At times it is not possible to grow fruit bearing plants from the seeds of fruits that we buy from the market as there many varieties and hybrids of fruits and vegetables that have flooded the market these days. Luckily, my experiment with Rasbhari did not prove futile at all. I guess it does not have any hybrids.
Botanical name : Physalis peruviana
Common name : Hindi - Rasbhari ( रसभरी )
English - Cape gooseberry
Family : Solanaceae ( Potato family )
Distribution : originally from South America, a home to many members of Solanaceae. Cultivated in sub-tropical regions.
Morphology : a shrub with a height of 2- 4 ft. Stems and leaves are covered with fine hair. Leaves are simple, dark green, heart shaped, with entire margins and oppositely arranged.
Inflorescence is solitary axillary. Flowers are simple and actinomorphic. Calyx is green,with five sepals, fused (gamosepalous) to form a cup shaped structure. Corolla consists of yellow coloured petals that are fused together (gamopetalous) and have purple markings towards the centre.
After the fruit sets in, the calyx inflates and continues to grow and form a protective covering around the developing fruit. As the fruit inside matures and changes its colour from green to yellow to orange, the green and hairy calyx too turns brown and papery.
Fruit is a berry with numerous light yellow seeds embedded inside the orange coloured fleshy part.
Let's sow this and see what happens is the one line that often crosses my mind whenever I see things like budding rhizomes or bulbs or discarded ripe seeds or fruits that are about to rot. Colocasia, turmeric, ginger, maize, ladyfinger, chillies, tomatoes, garlic, fenugreek, bitter gourd, potatoes are some of the plants that I have been able to grow because of my curiosity. Most of them have been fruitful ventures, however, a few did not even bear flowers. But there were two instances that left me completely surprised. First was when I grew maize and second was Cape gooseberry. Surprised because I did not know that they can grow in your home. I had seen maize only in huge fields spread over acres. And about Cape Gooseberry, I had no idea where it came from. But growing these plants and watching them grow and change everyday was a delight to the senses. Their flowering and fruiting has such unusual characteristics as if telling a story. They awaken in you that child who wants to know what will happen next.
Cape gooseberry known as Rasbhari is among those fruits that come in the market for a short span of time. By mid February it is a common sight to see fruit sellers displaying bunches of these marble sized, orange, juicy fruit that look so exotic. But after a couple of weeks , they disappear just like they came ,all of a sudden. But their smell and sweet n sour taste lingers on your tongue for a long time.
Just like we've attempted to grow tomato plants by throwing away rotting tomatoes in soil, similar was the way how I grew Rasbhari. After several of my recent attempts to have tomato laden plants in my home failed, there was some apprehension in my mind as to whether I would get any positive result with its family member or not ( both tomatoes and cape gooseberry belong to the same family Solanaceae, the potato family). At times it is not possible to grow fruit bearing plants from the seeds of fruits that we buy from the market as there many varieties and hybrids of fruits and vegetables that have flooded the market these days. Luckily, my experiment with Rasbhari did not prove futile at all. I guess it does not have any hybrids.
Botanical name : Physalis peruviana
Common name : Hindi - Rasbhari ( रसभरी )
English - Cape gooseberry
Family : Solanaceae ( Potato family )
Distribution : originally from South America, a home to many members of Solanaceae. Cultivated in sub-tropical regions.
Morphology : a shrub with a height of 2- 4 ft. Stems and leaves are covered with fine hair. Leaves are simple, dark green, heart shaped, with entire margins and oppositely arranged.
Inflorescence is solitary axillary. Flowers are simple and actinomorphic. Calyx is green,with five sepals, fused (gamosepalous) to form a cup shaped structure. Corolla consists of yellow coloured petals that are fused together (gamopetalous) and have purple markings towards the centre.
After the fruit sets in, the calyx inflates and continues to grow and form a protective covering around the developing fruit. As the fruit inside matures and changes its colour from green to yellow to orange, the green and hairy calyx too turns brown and papery.
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| A stem bearing fruits |
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| Fruit growing inside green calyx |
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| Calyx turning brown and papery |
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