Physalis peruviana is a species of plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Within that region it is called aguaymanto, uvilla or uchuva, in addition to numerous indigenous and regional names. In English, its common names include Cape gooseberry, goldenberry and Peruvian groundcherry,. The history of P. peruviana cultivation in South America can be traced to the Inca Empire. It has been cultivated in England since the late 18th century, and in South Africa in the Cape of Good Hope since at least the start of the 19th century. Widely introduced in the 20th century, P. peruviana is now cultivated or grows wild across the world in temperate and tropical regions. Taxonomy and common names Physalis peruviana was given a botanical species description by Carl Linnaeus in 1763. In Peru, P. peruviana is known as in Spanish and in Quechua. In neighboring Colombia, it is known as . The term uvilla is one of the names for P. peruviana in Ecuador. It was grown in England in 1774 and by early settlers of the Cape of Good Hope before 1807. Whether it was grown there before its introduction to England is not known, but sources since the mid-19th century attribute the common English name "Cape gooseberry" to this fact. An alternative suggestion is that name refers to the calyx surrounding the fruit like a cape, possibly an example of false etymology, because it does not appear in publications earlier than the mid-20th century. Not long after its introduction to South Africa, P. peruviana was introduced to Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific islands. Despite its common name, it is not botanically related to the true gooseberries of the genus Ribes. It is called poha in Hawaii and Harankash in Egypt. In northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province, P. peruviana is referred to as (dēnglóng-guǒ, "lantern fruit"). Description P. peruviana is closely related to the tomatillo. As a member of the plant family Solanaceae, it is also more distantly related to a large number of edible plants, including tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. P. peruviana is an annual in temperate locations, but a perennial in the tropics. As a perennial, it develops into a diffusely branched shrub reaching in height, with spreading branches and velvety, heart-shaped leaves. The hermaphrodite flowers are bell-shaped and drooping, across, yellow with purple-brown spots internally. After the flower falls, the calyx expands, ultimately forming