Fragaria pentaphylla

Fragaria pentaphylla is a tetraploid species of wild strawberry native to China. It is referred to as 五叶草莓 (pinyin: wu ye cao mei), or five-leaf strawberry.[1]

Fragaria pentaphylla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Fragaria
Species:
F. pentaphylla
Binomial name
Fragaria pentaphylla
Synonyms

Potentilla pentaphylla

Description

Usually 6–15 cm tall, this species usually blooms around April to May, the fruits are ripe by June. Characteristics include:[1]

  • Thick leaves with 5 leaflets (2 auxiliary leaflets and 3 terminal leaflets)
  • Hemispheric fruit, sometimes white (f. alba)
  • Glabrous above, sparsely hairy beneath
  • Reflexed petals
  • Flowers mostly in ones or in pairs- rarely in 3's.[1][2][3]

Distribution

Fragaria pentaphylla is native to the Chinese provinces of Sichuan Qinghai Gansu Shanxi and Henan. It is most often found on forests, forest clearings, scrub, mountain meadows, and open gravels at elevations of 1000–2700 m.[1][3]

Cultivation

This species is rare, (if at all) in cultivation.

Commercial value

This plant has little or no commercial value. However, with chromosome doubling, this plant can be bred with Fragaria × ananassa, the garden strawberry, possibly introducing new traits, such as disease resistance or new flavors (especially f. alba) to cultivated strawberries.

References
  1. "Fragaria pentaphylla". Flora of China. eFlora.
  2. Liston, Aaron. "Guide to Fragaria in China" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  3. Losinskaja. "Fragaria pentaphylla". eFlora. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
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