Blueleaf strawberry, one of the most common and widespread of 

 the native western strawberries, may properly be considered as 

 representative of the genus Fragaria in the West. The common 

 name blueleaf and the specific name glaitca both refer to the bluish 

 white, waxy bloom on the lower surface of the leaves. This straw- 

 berry appears from Alaska and the District of Mackenzie south to 

 Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and South Dakota. It occurs at 

 altitudes between 3,000 and 8,000 feet in Montana, but in Colorado, 

 principally from about 8,000 to 11,500 feet. Blueleaf strawberry 

 thrives on dry to moist, sandy or clayey loam soils in the open woods, 

 aspen groves, and meadows of the foothills and mountains, espe- 

 cially in canyons of the aspen and spruce belts. It is never very 

 abundant and usually occurs as scattered individuals, although occa- 

 sionally growing in small patches on satisfactory sites. 



This species possesses but little forage value, having a palatability 

 of from practically worthless to poor, or occasionally fair, for sheep 

 and is practically worthless for cattle. The fruit frequently attains 

 fair size and is of good flavor, being eaten readily by birds and 

 various small rodents. It is unimportant for human consumption, 

 seldom producing enough berries in any one patch to provide much 

 fruit at one time. 



STRAWBERRIES (Fraga'ria spp.) 



The genus Fragaria, belongs to the rose family (Rosaoeae) . 

 Strawberries are low, apparently stemless, perennial herbs with 

 underground, scaly rootstocks; they also have runners, which root 

 at the tips, producing new plants. The generally rather numerous, 

 basal leaves are composed of three, usually toothed leaflets; the 

 rather long leafstalks (petioles) are sheathed at the base by a pair 

 of membranous bracts (stipules). The flowers are white, rarely 

 reddish, borne in flat-topped clusters on usually leafless stems 

 (scapes), the central flowers being the first to blossom. The numer- 

 ous, short, seed-producing organs (pistils) are borne on a cone- 

 shaped, fleshy receptacle. The pistils, ripening into small, hard 

 "seeds" (achenes), persist on the receptacle, which becomes pulpy 

 and enlarged to form the familiar, edible "berry". 



Strawberries are native in Europe, northern Asia, North America, 

 and the cooler portions of India and South America. They extend 

 from the low plains to alpine elevations in the high mountains, both 

 in open, sunny situations and in the shade of brush and timber. 

 Some 150 species have been described ; actually, however, the genus 

 probably includes less than 50 conservatively valid species. Lead- 

 ing authorities 1 report about 27 species in North America, of which 

 approximately 11 are found on western ranges. The fact that thesei 

 plants cross freely and produce mostly perfect hybrids, must be 

 considered in estimating the accurate number of true species. 



The generic name Fragaria comes from the Latin fragwm, straw- 

 berry, a word derived from fragrans, fragrant, alluding to the at- 

 tractive odor of the fruit. The origin of the common name straw- 

 berry is somewhat obscure ; many authorities derive it from the An- 



1 Rydberg, P. A. KOSACEAB (PARS). North Amer. Flora 22 : 293-388. 1908. 



