Duchesnea indica (Mock Strawberry)

Duchesnea indica

Duchesnea indica (Andrews) Focke

Fragaria indica Andrews

Mock Strawberry, Indian Strawberry

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Duchesnea	For French botanist Antoine N. Duchesne
Species	indica	“Of or related to India”

About plant names...

Mock strawberries are native to eastern and southern Asia. They were introduced to the United States as ornamental plants, becoming naturalized in the southern United States. In some areas, they are considered invasive.

Identification: Plants are 2-5" (5-12 cm) high. Leaves are in groups of three, dark green, heavily veined beneath, with rounded teeth. They are oval to elliptic, ¾-3" (1.9-7.6 cm) × ¼-1½" (8.5-38 mm), and hairy. Flowers are yellow, with five petals, about ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) in diameter. They flower from April to August. The red berries are ¼-½" (6.3-12 mm) in diameter, more spherical than strawberry-like in shape. The seedlike achenes on the berry are prominently raised, making the fruit resemble a tiny land mine.

Mock strawberries most resemble barren strawberries, since the flowers of both are yellow. They also resemble common strawberries and wild strawberries:

4/21/2008 · Memphis, TN · By Tim Chandler

4/21/2007 · Memphis, TN · By Tim Chandler

	You are here Duchesnea indica	*Waldsteinia fragarioides*	*Fragaria vesca*
Common Name	Mock Strawberry	Barren Strawberry	Alpine Strawberry
Plant	Plants are 2-5" (5-12 cm) high.	3-8" (7.6-20 cm) high	Plants are low-growing, typically 3-6" (7.6-15 cm) tall.
Flowers	Flowers are yellow, with five petals, about ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) in diameter. They flower from April to August.	Yellow, on a leafless stalk, with five petals, ¼-¾" (8.4-19 mm) around, blooms April-May.	Flowers are white, about ½" (1.5 cm) across.
Leaves	Leaves are in groups of three, dark green, heavily veined beneath, with rounded teeth. They are oval to elliptic, ¾-3" (1.9-7.6 cm) × ¼-1½" (8.5-38 mm), and hairy.	Near the base of the plant, three-lobed, with rounded teeth and shallow lobes. Each leaflet is narrow at the base, widening to rounded ends.	Leaves occur in groups of three; each leaflet is ½-2½" (1.5-6.3 cm) long.
Fruit	Red berries are ¼-½" (6.3-12 mm) in diameter, more spherical than strawberry-like in shape. The seedlike achenes on the berry are prominently raised, making the fruit resemble a tiny land mine.	Dry, inconspicuous seeds.	Up to ⅜" (1 cm) across. Red or white in color.
Range/ Zones
Habitats		Pine forests, clearings
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild

	*Fragaria virginiana*
Common Name	Common Strawberry
Plant	2-4" (5-10 cm) high.
Flowers	White flowers with yellow centers, about ½" (1.3 cm) around. Flowers remain at the level of the leaves.
Leaves	Leaf stalks up to 6" (15 cm) long bear groups of three leaves. Each leaf is oval in shape, with a serrated edge, about ¾-1½" (1.9-3.8 cm) long.
Fruit	Berries are red, about ½" (1.3 cm) in diameter. Seeds are embedded in the berry. Sepals point outward.
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Fields, prairies, woodland edges
Type	Wild

Edibility: Mock strawberries are edible and high in vitamin C, but they lack flavor, and have no detectable odor. Some say the fruit has a mild watermelon taste. (Note: there are many recipes for “mock strawberry jam,” but they use figs or something else, not mock strawberries.)

Online References:

Duchesnea indica on Wildflowers of the United States

Duchesnea indica on the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

Duchesnea indica on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Duchesnea indica on Delaware Wildflowers

Duchesnea indica at the University of Michigan Herbarium

Duchesnea indica at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Duchesnea indica on eFloras