Definition

Noun: * A perennial plant (Physalis alkekengi) native to Eurasia, widely cultivated for its distinctive, ornamental fruit. The fruit is enclosed in a large, papery, bright orange to red husk (calyx) that resembles a lantern when dried.

Usage

• The Chinese lantern plant is prized in gardens for its decorative seed pods, which are often used in dried floral arrangements.
• After the small berry inside withers, the vibrant husk of the Chinese lantern plant remains, looking like a miniature paper lantern.

Advanced Usage

• The genus name comes from the Greek for "bladder," referring to the inflated calyx that encloses the fruit. While ornamental, all parts of the Chinese lantern plant, especially the unripe fruit, are considered toxic if ingested.

Variants and Related Words

• Bladder cherry: Another common name for the same species.
• Japanese lantern: A name sometimes used interchangeably.
• Winter cherry: Another synonym highlighting its persistent, colorful husks in the colder season.
• Physalis: The botanical genus name, which also includes the edible Cape gooseberry () and ground cherry ().

Synonyms

• Bladder cherry
• Winter cherry
• Japanese lantern
• (scientific name)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Like a Chinese lantern": A simile used to describe something with a delicate, papery, and brightly colored appearance, often glowing from within when lit.
  • The festive decorations glowed in the dusk like a string of Chinese lanterns.

Noun

1. Old World perennial cultivated for its ornamental inflated papery orange-red calyx