543 



THE STRAWBERRY, ITS SPECIES, NATIVE LOCALITIES 

 AND THEIR NORMAL SEXUAL CHARACTER. 



BY WM. K. PRIKCE. 



The publication in your periodical of an article written by Leonard 

 Wray,* who had recently visited this country, in which he explains 

 " The scientific culture of the strawberry in America," has evidently 

 awakened public attention in England to this highly interesting subject. 

 As very erroneous views have existed both there and here, I presume a 

 short paper on it will be acceptable to the public. 



Europe presents us with three species of strawberries which, in their 

 normal state, all produce fruit of small size. Two of these species have 

 hermaphrodite flowers, and the third (Fragaria elatior) comprises male, 

 female, and hermaphrodite flowers. 



These European species are : — 



F. vesca — The Wood and Alpine strawberry. 



F. Collina — Green Pineapple strawberry. 



F. elatior — Hautbois strawberry. 



F. monophylla, of Linnaeus, does not exist as a species, it being a 

 variety of F. vesca. F. sterilis, of Linnseus, has proved to be Comarum 

 fragaroides. Both Linnseus and Miller supposed, and so stated, that the 

 F. elatior (Hautbois) was obtained from America ; an error that can 

 scarcely be accounted for. 



Asia presents us with one hermaphrodite species, F. indica, pro- 

 ducing yellow blossoms, and whose fruit is not edible. 



South America presents us with two species, both of which have 

 large foliage and flowers, and fruit of remarkable size, and which com- 

 prise in their normal state, both staminate and hermaphrodite varieties. 

 These are : — 



F. graudiflora — Pine strawberry. 



F. Chilensis — Chili strawberry. 



The F. Bonariensis of Loudon, is only a synonym of F. graudiflora. 



North America presents us with six species, very distinct in 

 character from all the European and South American species, and pro- 

 ducing fruit varying from a medium to a large size. These species each 

 present, in their normal state, plants of two characters : 1st, hermaphro- 

 dite, or bi-sexual ; and 2nd, pistillate, or female. Of the hermaphro- 

 dite section there are two divisions : the one combining the stamens and 

 pistils in each flower ; and the other producing some peduncles of 

 entirely bi-sexual, and others of entirely pistillate flowers. These 

 American species are : — 



F. Virginiana vel Canadensis — Scarlet strawberry. 



F. Hudsonica — Hudson's Bay strawberry. 



* "Technologist," vol. i., p. 41 



