Mike, I have a wonderful old 4 volume Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening, published in England about 100 years ago. It's amazing what I have learned from it over the years. First - it says "Ground Cherry, see Cerasus Chamaecerasus" The description of C. Chamaecerasus says it grows 2-4 feet high, and in May has fruit which is round, reddish-purple, and very acid. There is also a creeping form - "pendula". There is no mention of the paper-like covering, and all are related to the Laurel tree. Second - taking Ralph Schwalm's advice, I also checked for "Winter Cherry". That says "see Physalis Alkekengi." This sounds more like what you are looking for. "P. Alkekengi is ornamental, in autumn and winter, when its fruits are ripe, on account of the highly coloured, inflated calyx [the green outer part of a flower]. This becomes skeletonised in due course, if left on the plant." That sounds more like the paper skin. Another variety - "Physalis peruviana edulis is occasionally grown as a dessert fruit, some people liking its peculiar flavour...fruit, yellow, edible." Ralph's reference to "husk tomato" also fits the description of a fruit/vegetable?, available recently in produce departments, called tomatillos. They look like small green tomatoes with a papery skin which you peel off before cooking. Perhaps some of this is helpful? Sandra bigband@oceana.net > > My great uncles in SE PA grew "ground cherries", a vine-like plant that had > small fruit with a paper-like skin that had to be peeled off. These were > then made into pies, etc. No one seems to grow them anymore, and I can't > seem to find out what they really were. Any ideas? > > Mike in NY