544 THE STRAWBERRY, ETC. 



F. Iowensis — Iowa strawberry. 



F. Illinoiensis — Illinois strawberry. 



F. lucida — California strawberry. 



F. sericea, Douglas, F. CMlensis, of Torrey and Grey — Oregon straw- 

 berry. 



The F. Caroliniensis of Loudon, and F. Caroliniana of Duchesne 

 and Poiteau, has no distinct existence, but is merely a synonym of F. 

 grandiflora. 



The European species being hermaphrodite, and but one of the 

 North American species being known to Europeans in the time of 

 Linnaeus, he supposed that all the species of the genus Fragaria were 

 of the same character, and consequently placed them under the class 

 and order Icosandria polygynia, comprising the stamens and pistils in 

 the same flower. The two South American species which comprise 

 staminate and hermaphrodite varieties, and whose large fruit caused 

 them to be preferred in Europe, are the only species from which the 

 numerous seedling varieties they now possess have been originated ; and 

 as but one sexual variety of the ChUensis was carried to Europe, there 

 have been only a few hybrids grown therefrom. All the others are 

 seedlings of the F. grandiflora, and they are very numerous throughout 

 Europe. 



These seminal varieties have retained their normal parental character, 

 as this species does not admix even with its own congener of South 

 America (F. CMlensis) as but one sex of this species has been obtained. 



This primal character of the Pine family, comprising staminates and 

 hermaphrodites has always been sustained, but the adoption in Europe 

 of an unnatural system based on the extermination of all the staminates 

 (males) has resulted in filling the gardens of Europe exclusively with 

 varieties of the hermaphrodite character ; and, as preference has been 

 thus given to these large white-fleshed varieties over the scarlet- 

 fleshed varieties of the F. Virginiana, it has caused an almost total ex- 

 clusion from their gardens of all the North American species and 

 varieties. The prejudice thus generated has prevented the introduction 

 into Europe of the productive American pistillate, or female varieties, 

 as well as of our hermaphrodites, comprising the numerous large 

 hybridized varieties which constitute such remarkable improvements 

 over the few North American kinds they already possess, both in the size 

 and flowers of their fruit, in the far greater hardihood of the plants 

 suitable to the most northern climates, and especially in their great 

 productiveness, the latter quality arising from their sexual physical 

 capacities, and from the "scientific culture of the strawberry," iu the 

 combination of the sexes. 



Europe, at the present time, possesses no female varieties except the 

 pistillate Hautbois, which she exterminates, and the few pistillate 

 varieties of Virginiana, mostly obtained from America two hundred 

 year? ago, and two only of our estimable pistillate varieties, which have 



