wild strawberry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• wood strawberry
• woodland strawberry
• Wild Strawberry
• European strawberry
• alpine strawberry
• Hillside Strawberry
• Thin-leaved Wild Strawberry

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Potentilla vesca

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Rosales, it is a member of the Rosaceae family. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Fragaria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad presence across several regions in Northern Europe. Specifically, it can be found growing throughout the landscape of Denmark. Its distribution also extends to the northern territories of Finland. In the Atlantic region, the species is established in both Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, its range reaches as far north as the island of Iceland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Fragaria vesca is characterized by a broad environmental tolerance, allowing it to colonize diverse landscapes ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 3500 m AMSL. This expansive vertical distribution enables the species to inhabit various altitudinal zones, adapting to both lowland and montane conditions. Furthermore, the species demonstrates significant resilience in human-altered environments, frequently occurring within "Área Antrópica" (anthropic areas), where it can thrive in disturbed soils, gardens, and agricultural margins alongside more natural ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

3500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Fragaria vesca is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist across multiple growing seasons through established root systems. As a hemicryptophyte, it maintains its perennuating buds at the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or soil during unfavorable conditions. Despite its seasonal growth patterns, it exhibits evergreen traits in certain environmental contexts or through the persistence of basal structures, contributing to its ability to re-emerge reliably each spring. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and a hemicryptophytic life form enables the species to effectively colonize forest edges and clearings, utilizing its robust vegetative and reproductive strategies to ensure long-term survival.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Fragaria vesca is characterized by a low-growing growth form, specifically classified as a non-woody herb and a forb. As a terrestrial plant, it is neither aquatic nor an epiphyte, maintaining an independent existence without acting as a parasite. The plant is self-supporting rather than a climber, liana, or vine, exhibiting an erect shoot orientation. In terms of stature, it is a diminutive species with a minimum plant height of 0.05 m, a mean height of approximately 0.1415 m, and a maximum height reaching up to 0.3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.3 m

Plant height mean:

0.1415 m

Plant height min:

0.05 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Fragaria vesca is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, utilizing standard carbon fixation processes typical of most temperate herbaceous plants. As a non-carnivorous species, it relies on soil-based nutrient uptake rather than insectivory. The plant exhibits a rosette leaf arrangement, which optimizes light interception and space utilization near the ground. The foliage consists of ovate-shaped leaves that vary significantly in dimensions, with a mean leaf length of 3 cm (ranging from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 5 cm) and a mean leaf width of 2.3 cm (ranging from a minimum of 0.6 cm to a maximum of 4 cm). These dimensions contribute to a mean leaf size of approximately 23.935 cm², reflecting a specific leaf area (SLA) with a mean value of 231.7 cm²/g, an indicator of the leaf's resource allocation strategy and metabolic efficiency.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf arrangement :

rosette

Leaf form :

ovate

Leaf length max:

5 cm

Leaf length mean:

3 cm

Leaf length min:

1 cm

Leaf size mean:

23.935 cm²

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

2.3 cm

Leaf width min:

0.6 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

231.7 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Fragaria vesca is characterized by a primarily sexual process through bisexual flowers that typically bloom between May and June. These flowers are white in color and rely on biotic pollination, specifically utilizing an insect syndrome with a strong association with bees to facilitate fertilization, although self-fertilization is present. The resulting fruit is a fleshy, indehiscent, red-colored structure categorized as an achene (technically an aggregate of achenes), with an average length of 1.22 cm (ranging from 1 cm to 1.7 cm) and an average width of 1.075 cm. Each fruit is highly prolific, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The seeds themselves are minute, characterized by a mean length of 1.3 mm, a consistent volume of 0.52 mm³, and a mean mass of approximately 0.00424 g (ranging from 0.00027 g to 0.00053 g). Dispersal is achieved through a zoochorous syndrome, specifically via endozoochory, where animals consume the fleshy fruit and disperse the seeds. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flower colour :

white

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit colour :

red

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

1.7 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.22 cm

Fruit length min:

1 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width mean:

1.075 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

1.3 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00053 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0042429526 g

Seed mass min:

0.00027 g

Seed volume max:

0.52 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Fragaria vesca has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Root

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
2. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine

Chemicals

Fragaria vesca has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, CATECHIN, Tannins, Agrimoniin.

Flavonoids

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Journal of analytical methods in chemistry
4. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anthocyanins

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
2. Journal of analytical methods in chemistry
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

CATECHIN

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Journal of AOAC International

Tannins

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM
2. Journal of analytical methods in chemistry

Agrimoniin

1. Journal of AOAC International

Condensed Tannins

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

DPPH

1. Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM

Ellagitannins

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Gallic acid

1. Journal of AOAC International

Pedunculagin

1. Journal of AOAC International

Conditions

Fragaria vesca has 4 reported investigations on conditions identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include DNA damage, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, hypertension, respiratory infections.

Dna damage

1. Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hypertension

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Respiratory infections

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Fragaria vesca has 5 reported preparations identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous solutions of ethanolic tinctures, decoctions, extract, extracts, roots.

Aqueous solutions of ethanolic tinctures

1. Biology

Decoctions

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Extracts

1. Journal of applied microbiology

Roots

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine