Oil on canvas, 120 x 80 cm (2009)
This species was discovered by the indigenous Moriori people of the Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand. They named this plant Korapa o Ra or ‘Caged Sun’. It’s a member of the Groundcherry family.
The fruit is accessible to small birds and insects only and the large seeds stay trapped inside the crown. After maturing and shrinking, the seeds eventually fall through the web of branches and sprout close to trunk. This makes that Physalis Pecus trees only appear in groups and migrate very slowly.
HERE you find 2 blogposts about my inspiration for this painting.
The original painting is sold, but there are still some giclée’s available