The genus Physalis finds an important place in the family Solanaceae for elaborating a variety of C,,-steroidal lactones built on the ergostane framework. The structural types that have so far been isolated from different Physalis species include physalins (l), withanolides (2), ixocarpalactones (3), withaphysalins (4), and the recently isolated perulactones (5,6). The variation in molecular architecture witnessed in c,,-steroids of this genus and the biological activity reported (7,8) for this class of compounds prompted us to extend our studies on Physalis minima Linn. var. indica C.B. Clarke, an annual herb that had thus far not been investigated for its chemical constituents. The plant has a bitter taste, and the Indian system of medicine recommends it, inter alia as a remedy for spleen disorders and also as a tonic, diuretic, and purgative (9). Extraction of the whole plant and chromatographic separation of the chloroform-soluble fraction afforded two major components, one of which was readily identified as withaphysalin A (3), while the second compound was named withaphysalin D. Withaphysalin D is a new compound and is the fourth entry to withaphysalins (4,10). The structure of withaphysalin D was advanced as 1 on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis.