What is this....

[gcp]

....plant that produces such a fruit (shown next to the corn stock)?? It's a plant I found growing wild in my corn field so, can you please help identify it?

 

[ritchieb]

Was this on a small tree or a small bush? Not sure where you are located, but here in WV we have a sand briar that produces a seed pod type fruit that looks like that. Then again if it is small tree with thorns (long) it could be a wild crab-apple, some tame ones have smaller thorns. If perhaps it is a garden plant could be a pepper from astray. Hope this helps but depending on your area it could not apply at all.

 

[John47]

What does the rest of the plant look like??? Bears a resemblance to horse nettle to me.

 

[Egon]

More pictures would be helpful!

Have you tasted it?

Does it have a pit?? just fruit with small seeds??

Ground cherry -- Tomatillo????

 

[charlz]

Yeah, looks a bit like a Tomatillo to me... we have them growing all over the place.

 

[TedLaRue]

What ritchieb is calling a "sand briar" is the same plant that John47 is calling a "horse nettle". Those are just two different common names for the same plant. It's a member of the nightshade family and has a spiney stem and leaves. The spines will stick you, but they don't cause the persistent itching that common nettles do.

They have a deep root. I had a bunch of them in a new garden I plowed up, and it was a couple of years before I got rid of most of them.

This website has some good photos of the plant:
Carolina horse-nettle

 

[gcp]

Gentlemen, thank you for all the information! Here's a few more pictures of the plant in question. I am getting ready to plow the field but hate to destroy anything the local critters would be interested in munching on. I planted some chufa in the same field last spring but there's still no sign of it...

Here's the condition of my corn, do you think it can be saved by watering? It's been one hot couple of rainless weeks in north Alabama....

 

[Egon]

Tomatillos.

They are used in making salsa. I like eating them raw.

I have several in our driveway side garden. If I get time I'll post a picture. No fruit yet. Just blossoms.

 

[gcp]

So, I should try to preserve them then? Especially if I can munch on 'em

Hmmmm, Tomatillo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says that some parts of the plant are toxic and should not be eaten so, it seems only the fruit is fit to eat.

 

[KentT]

It's what's commonly called a "Ground Cherry" in the south, or tomatillo in the southwest.

Ground Cherry (Physalis )