Alkekengi officinarum

Alkekengi officinarum, the Chinese lantern or bladder cherry (formerly Physalis alkekengi), is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Solanaceae reaching 40-60 cm in height and spreading by creeping rhizomes. The erect, somewhat zigzag stems bear spirally arranged ovate to rhomboid leaves 6-12 cm long and 4-9 cm broad, with entire to coarsely toothed margins and tapered bases. Solitary, nodding, five-lobed white flowers about 10-15 mm across appear in the leaf axils in summer; after fertilisation the calyx enlarges dramatically into a papery, inflated, bright orange-red lantern-like husk 4-5 cm long enclosing a single shiny scarlet berry. Native from southern Europe through central and southwest Asia to East Asia, it is widely grown as an ornamental and has naturalised in many temperate regions.