SPECIES OF STRAWBERRIES 333 



Probably no other fruit grows wild under 

 such varied conditions and over such an ex- 

 tended area in North America as this wild 

 strawberry. It is found in every state in 

 the United States, in the mountains of Mex- 

 ico, and far north into Canada. Naturally 

 plastic, when spread over this vast territory 

 the species runs into many forms, several of 

 which have received specific names from one 

 or another botanist. Among these, var. 

 illinoensis, Gray, a larger, more robust plant 

 with scapes and pedicels more hairy, and larger 

 berries, is the only one which has noteworthy 

 pomological characters different from those of 

 the species. 



This species has been more or less culti- 

 vated almost from the settlement of North 

 America. It was mentioned by Parkinson 

 as under cultivation in England in 1629, though 

 it was little improved either at home or in 

 Europe until early in the nineteenth century. 

 About 1820, several improved varieties made 

 their appearance, such as Early Hudson, Hud- 

 son's Bay, Methven Scarlet, Large Early 

 Scarlet, and Crimson Cone. These and other 

 varieties of this species held the markets until 

 the middle of the century, when improved 

 hybrid sorts began to take their places. It 

 is probable that no pure-bred variety of this 

 species is now under cultivation. 



2. Fragaria chiloensis, Duchesne. Common Garden 

 Strawberry. Pine Strawberry. Plant large, low, stocky, 

 with rather thick, fleshy, shallow roots ; runners mod- 

 erate in number, short, stout, appearing after the fruit 

 has matured. Leaves radical ; leaflets three, large, 

 obovate-wedge-form ; round-toothed ; thick, leathery, 

 smooth and glossy above, tomentose below ; strongly 

 reticulate. Flowers white ; borne in loose cymes on 

 more or less erect, silky scapes ; calyx very large, often 

 leafy. Berry large, globular or conic, firm ; dark-red ; 

 more or less hairy ; sometimes slightly necked ; flesh 

 white, with a hollow core ; flavor mild, musky ; seeds 

 brown, raised or in shallow pits. 



This is the common wild strawberry from 

 Alaska to California in North America, and 

 from Peru to Patagonia in South America. 

 As would be expected from its great range 

 in latitude, there are many marked variations. 

 The North American form has as yet given no 

 valuable varieties, although it has been used 

 in breeding work by several workers, but the 

 South American form is represented in the 

 lineage of nearly all varieties now cultivated 

 in America. To the Chilean strawbeny, in 

 particular, we are indebted for the large size 

 of modern strawberries. The Pine, most 

 notable in the early history of the large-fruited 

 strawberries we now grow, called by many 

 botanists var. ananassa of F. chiloensis, is prob- 

 ably a cross between this species and F. vir- 

 giniana. 



This strawberry was introduced into France 

 in 1712 by Frezier, a French officer, who 

 found it in Chile, both wild and cultivated. 

 In 1727, it was introduced into England, but 

 seems not to have found general favor. The 

 Pine strawberry, the name referring to the 

 pineapple fragrance, now considered the pro- 

 genitor of our cultivated varieties, made its 

 appearance in Europe about the middle of 



the eighteenth century, but its origin must 

 ever remain a mystery; as has been said, 

 it is now generally agreed that it is a hybrid. 

 One of the first of the large-fruited straw- 

 berries was Keene's Seedling, of the Pine 

 strain, originated by an Englishman in 1819. 

 Soon after, this and similar large-fruited varie- 

 ties were introduced in America, and the cul- 

 ture of this group of strawberries was begun 

 in the New World. Prince says that the 

 Large Scarlet Chile was imported to this 

 country from South America at about the 

 same time, 1820. 



3. Fragaria vesca, Linn. Alpine Strawberry. Per- 

 petual Strawberry. Wood Strawberry. Plant rather 

 tall, erect ; runners long, slender, rather numerous. 

 Leaves radical ; leaflets thin and light green as com- 

 pared with the foregoing species ; silky when young, 

 glabrous at maturity ; margins serrate, the teeth very 

 sharp. Flowers small, borne irregularly in loose 

 racemes on weak, erect scapes longer than the leaf- 

 stalks ; calyx small and recurved. Berries small, firm, 

 round, or round-conic, sometimes pointed ; flesh white, 

 rich and delicate, aromatic ; seeds small, many, promi- 

 nent, raised. 



This is the wild strawberry of the Old 

 World, which apparently passes without sharp 

 demarcation into var. americana, Porter, of 

 the New World. The American form is more 

 slender, with thinner leaves, with more ovoid 

 or conical fruits, which are usually more dis- 

 tinctly necked; its petioles and scapes are 

 sparingly hairy rather than hairy-pubescent. 

 The true F. vesca is found as an escape from 

 the garden in eastern United States. The 

 species is found in all parts of the north tem- 

 perate zone in the Old World, while the New 

 World form is found from Newfoundland to 

 North Carolina and westward to the Great 

 Plains. There are no valuable varieties of 

 the American form under cultivation, but the 

 type species is the strawberry of the ancients 

 in the Eastern Hemisphere. 



This is the strawberry mentioned by ancient 

 writers as a wild plant, but, while possibly 

 cultivated in the medieval period, seems not 

 to have been considere '. a garden plant until 

 the sixteenth century, when it began to appear 

 in all European books on cultivated plants. 

 Until the advent of F. chiloensis and F. vir- 

 giana to garden-culture in the eighteenth cen- 

 tury, this was the chief if not the only culti- 

 vated strawberry in Europe. No variety of 

 this species has ever attained prominence in 

 America, although the type was introduced in 

 the colonies as early as 1750. 



4. Fragaria elatior, Ehrh. Hautbois Strawberry. 

 This species of Europe differs from F. vesca in its 

 taller and more pubescent plants which bear flowers 

 that are usually dioecious. The berries differ in being 

 rounder, larger, a paler red, with the calyx more 

 strongly reflexed from the fruit, and in having a dis- 

 tinctive strong musky flavor ; they are, also, borne on 

 longer, stouter stems which elevate them above the 

 foliage. 



The habitat of the Hautbois is central Eu- 

 rope, where it is a common inhabitant of the 

 woods, although sometimes found in open 

 fields. It does not grow wild in North America 

 as a native, but is occasionally reported as an 

 escape from cultivation. In spite of the fact 



