6 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 



growing in stools or clumps producing no runners, o? 

 Tery sparingly. This species is also indigenous to North 

 America and found plentifully in our more northern 

 States, and westward to the Rocky Mountains, where it 

 grows in the more elevated and cooler regions. The 

 plants are slender, with tnin, often pale-green leaflets ; 

 fruit small, oval, oblong, or sharp pointed ; seeds quite 

 prominent, never depressed. 



Fragaria Californica. A low-growing species 

 closely allied to the F. vesca, but thought to be specifi- 

 cally distinct by some botanists. The entire plant cov- 

 ered with spreading hairs ; leaves rather thin, wedge- 

 shape and broadest at the tip. Flowers, small white ; 

 calyx shorter than the petals, and often toothed or cleft ; 

 fruit small, and seed as in vesca. On the hills and moun- 

 tains of California and in northern Mexico. There are 

 no varieties of this species in cultivation. 



Fragaria Yirginiana. The Wild Strawberry of 

 the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Plant, 

 with few or numerous scattering hairs ; upper surface 

 of leaves often very dark green and shining, also very 

 large, thick, coarsely toothed. Flowers, white, in clusters 

 on erect scapes. Fruit red or scarlet, often with long 

 neck ; seeds in shallow or deep pits on the surface of the 

 receptacle. This species is the parent of an immense 

 number of varieties, like the Wilson, Boston Pine, Early 

 Scarlet, &c. 



Variety. Illinoensis is found in the rich soils of the 

 Western States and is a larger and coarser growing 

 plant, more villous or hairy than the species, and the 

 fruit is usually of a lighter color. Some of the most 

 popular varieties ir, cultivation are descended from this 

 indigenous western variety, such as the Charles Downing, 

 Downer's Prolific, &c. 



