A wild double strawberry from Colorado 



Edna L. Johnson 



Three years ago plants of a wild strawberry, Fragaria ovalis 

 (Lehm.) Rydb., bearing double blossoms were observed by Mrs. 

 Earl Davis of Denver, growing in Deer Canyon near Littleton, 

 Colorado. A casual search in the immediate vicinity indicated 

 that all the strawberry plants bore normal single blossoms with 

 the exception of those in this small area. 



Fig. 1. Wild strawberry plant bearing double flowers. Appearance of garden- 

 grown plants the third spring after' transplanting from Deer Canyon; 

 upper right, enlarged flower showing numerous petals developed at the 

 expense of the stamens; lower right, head of sterile leafy bracts which 

 forms in place of a normal, fleshy fruit. A number of these dry "fruits" are 

 evident in the lower left part of the plant. 



A few plants were transferred to Mrs. Davis' garden and 

 one was sent to the University greenhouse. Those transplanted 

 to the garden have spread and have borne blossoms for a month 

 or more every spring. The figure represents a plant which was 

 transferred to a pot for photographing. 



The plants in the green house bore flowers almost continu- 

 ously for a couple of years. The petals were greatly increased in 



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