草莓 cao mei

Fragaria chiloensis (Linnaeus) Miller var. ananassa Weston, Bot. Univ. 2: 329. 1771; F. ×grandiflora Ehrhart (1792), not (Linnaeus) Crantz (1766); F. vesca Linnaeus var. sativa Linnaeus.

Herbs perennial, 10–40 cm tall. Stems shorter than or equaling leaves, densely spreading yellow villous. Petiole 2–10 cm; leaf blade 3-foliolate; leaflets shortly petiolulate, abaxially pale green, adaxially dark green, obovate or rhombic, rarely suborbicular, 3–7 × 2–6 cm, thick, abaxially sparsely hairy, more densely so on veins, adaxially subglabrous, base broadly cuneate on central leaflet, oblique on lateral ones, margin acutely incised serrate, apex rounded. Inflorescence cymose, 5–15-flowered, proximally with a shortly petiolate, leafletlike bract. Flowers bisexual, 1.5–2 cm in diam. Sepals ovate, slightly longer than epicalyx segments; epicalyx segments elliptic-lanceolate, enlarged in fruit, margin entire, rarely 2-parted. Petals white, suborbicular or obovate-elliptic, base not prominently clawed. Stamens ca. 20, unequal. Carpels numerous. Aggregate fruit ripening red, large, to 3 cm in diam.; persistent sepals erect, appressed to aggregate fruit. Achenes acutely ovoid, glabrous. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Jun–Jul.

Cultivated throughout China [of cultivated origin].

Fragaria × ananassa is a hybrid originally produced in cultivation between F. chiloensis (Linnaeus) Miller, native to W North and South America, and F. virginiana Miller, native to E North America.