The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

wild strawberry, wood strawberry, woodland strawberry, woods strawberry

Photo is of parent taxon

California strawberry, woodland strawberry

Habit Plants hermaphroditic (sometimes pistillate in subsp. bracteata).
Leaves

bright green (sometimes darker green in subsp. californica), not glaucous, thin, not leathery, not reticulately veined abaxially, terminal tooth of terminal leaflet longer than or equal to adjacent teeth (sometimes equal to or shorter than adjacent teeth in subsp. californica).

green to dark green;

terminal leaflet blade ± round or slightly ovate-rhombic, length/width 0.9–1.3, teeth: relative number 0.4–0.9, relative size 1–2.3, terminal tooth equal to or shorter than adjacent teeth.

Flowers

bisexual or unisexual;

hypanthium 11–21.2 mm diam.;

petals 5, ± obovate to nearly orbiculate, margins overlapping or distinct.

bisexual, 17–22 mm diam.;

hypanthium 11–18.1 mm diam.;

petals white, widely obovate to nearly orbiculate, margins distinct, sometimes crenate.

Achenes

deeply embedded, in shallow pits, or superficial, yellowish green to reddish brown, 1–1.5 mm;

bractlets and sepals clasping, spreading, or reflexed in fruit;

torus easily or not easily separating from hypanthium.

superficial or in shallow pits;

bractlets and sepals spreading or reflexed;

torus carmine or red, shiny, globose to ± oblong, easily separating from hypanthium.

2n

= 14.

Fragaria vesca

Fragaria vesca subsp. californica

Phenology Flowering spring.
Habitat Coastal strand, grassy coastal areas, coniferous forests
Elevation 0–100 m [0–300 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NM; NY; OH; OR; PA; SD; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; SK; Mexico; Eurasia [Introduced in West Indies, South America, Pacific Islands]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Whether subsp. bracteata has introgressed into subsp. californica not only in northern California and Oregon, but also in southern California, should be investigated.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Fruiting tori easily separating from hypanthia, tori globose to ± oblong; achenes superficial or in shallow pits; leaves green to dark green, terminal leaflet blades ± round or slightly ovate-rhombic, length/width 0.9–1.3, teeth: relative number 0.4–0.9, relative size 1–2.3; bractlets and sepals spreading or reflexed in fruit.
subsp. californica
1. Fruiting tori easily or not easily separating from hypanthia, tori globose, subglobose, oblong-ovoid, or elongate-conic (slightly oblate or conic); achenes superficial, in shallow pits, or deeply embedded; leaves green to bright green, terminal leaflet blades ovate or obovate to slightly rhombic, length/width 1.1–1.8, teeth: relative number 0.2–0.6, relative size 1.5–4; bractlets and sepals clasping, spreading, or reflexed in fruit
→ 2
2. Flowers usually bisexual, sometimes pistillate, 15.3–23.8 mm diam.; petals usually white, sometimes pinkish; bractlets clasping or spreading to slightly reflexed, sepals clasping in fruit; achenes in shallow pits or deeply embedded; tori usually not easily separating from hypanthia.
subsp. bracteata
2. Flowers bisexual, 12–20.5 mm diam.; petals white; bractlets and sepals spreading to reflexed in fruit; achenes superficial or in shallow pits; tori easily separating from hypanthia
→ 3
3. Fruiting tori globose or subglobose (often slightly oblate or conic); leaves bright green; achenes superficial or in shallow pits.
subsp. vesca
3. Fruiting tori elongate-conic (often somewhat pointed); leaves green to bright green; achenes superficial.
subsp. americana
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 275. FNA vol. 9, p. 276.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Fragaria Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Potentilleae > Fragaria > Fragaria vesca
Sibling taxa
F. chiloensis, F. virginiana
F. vesca subsp. americana, F. vesca subsp. bracteata, F. vesca subsp. vesca
Subordinate taxa
F. vesca subsp. americana, F. vesca subsp. bracteata, F. vesca subsp. californica, F. vesca subsp. vesca
Synonyms F. californica
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 494. (1753) (Chamisso & Schlechtendal) Staudt: Canad. J. Bot. 40: 872. (1962)
Web links