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Southern California is a good spot to grow Physalis, since the plants don’t like wet feet and prefer lots of sun.

Now through Feb. 7, BTI is mailing free seeds to people who register to become “citizen scientists” in their Physalis Improvement Project by planting the seeds in their gardens and sending photos and reports about how their plants grow.

So why isn’t there more interest in their Physalis plant cousins, the husked fruit known as goldenberries, groundcherries and tomatillos?

Their work, which appeared in the journal Nature Plants, is part of a scientific initiative called the Physalis Improvement Project.

A member of the genus Physalis, it bears papery, heart-shaped husks that resemble Chinese lanterns.