0089 



STRAWBERRY TREE, 



Family: HEATH FAMILY 



Reproductive system: DECANDRY, MONOGYNY. 



The strawberry tree, Arbutus unedo, LINN., is merely a large shrub in Provence, 

 but in the islands of the Aegean it grows to tree-height. Its beautiful red fruit makes a 

 lovely sight along the edges of bluffs and ravines where I've often observed it. The tree 

 has a straight, cylindrical, reddish trunk. The flowers, yellowish-white or red, are in 

 pendent clusters at the ends of the branches. The leaves, on short petioles, are alternate, 

 oval-lanceolate, shiny, leathery, and non-deciduous with serrate margins. The calyx is 

 small and has five teeth. The corolla is monopetalous, oval-oblong, urceolate, formed of 

 transparent material and divided at its top into five reflexed crenations. There are ten 

 stamens. They are shorter than the corolla; their wide bases are inserted into it. The 

 anthers are pierced with two holes. The ovary, topped with a style and stigma, turns into a 

 round pendent berry. Its surface is uneven because of the large number of osseous seeds 

 projecting from it. The fruit, green at first, then yellowish, turns red when it is ripe, 

 giving it the appearance of a strawberry. 



FLOWERS: September and October. 



RANGE: Provence and several other parts of southern France. 



NOMENCLATURE. German, der Erdbeerbaum, der Hagapfelbaum. English, the 

 strawberry tree. Italian, arbuto, corbezzolo. Spanish, madrono. Russian, Ijesnajajablon. 

 Hungarian, vad-alma-fa. In Constantinople, komaria. Commonly called lefraisier en 

 arhre, Varbre a /raises. [Translator's note: the strawberry bush tree, the strawberry tree.] 



