unknown plant

Hi all I have been given a plant and cannot find it in any of the encyclopedia I have, can anybody identify it for me please : It grows to about 12 " high has a dark red/brown stem, lance shaped jagged edged leaves about 1 1/2" inches long that look as though they have been sprinckled with pepper especialy when young, it produces 1 blue petunia type flower at a time, that then goes into a seed pod that looks like a lantern and drys to look like a cape gooseberry. best wishes.

 

Cabbage - any chance of a picture - it always helps.

Nicandra physaloides -( Apple of Peru / Shoo Fly ) could fit this description. It has a dark purpley stem, and the leaves have tiny black spots on as you say. And the flower and fruit seem to fit. I think the name physaloides means like Physalis (Cape Gooseberry).

Nicandra is an annual, which may grow typically to four feet, but I have heard of them up to eight feet high in this country.

 

I would agree with Nicandra.:thumb:

 

Cabbage - you need to put yours in quite a large pot. You mentioned 12" high, but I just measured mine today and it is already 3' 9" high, with several more growing months left.

 

Thank you Peter and Daith you are right it is a Nicandra, it was our village open gardens this weekend and I spotted one in one of the gardens, and asked its name, but I didn`t know they grew that tall, I have planted one in the garden and am hoping I have got the dwarf variety, if there is such a thing then. Many thanks for your information.

 

Mine has grown another 9 inches since my last post. I like it tall - it makes it more imposing. But I have others that are shorter because I have left them in small pots.