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Indian Strawberry, India Mockstrawberry - Duchesnea indica


Family: Rosaceae - Rose family Genus Common Name: Indian Strawberry Native Status: Introduced
Duchesnea indica - Indian Strawberry, India Mockstrawberry. Indian Strawberry is a prone, creeping plant which produces roots at the leaf nodes. It produces red strawberry-like fruits, but they are tasteless (but also harmless.) Because of the fruit, it could be confused with wild strawberry, but that plant has white blossoms. It is also similar to Dwarf Cinquefoil, which has 5 leaflets instead of the 3 leaflets of Indian Strawberry. Duchesnea indica was introduced from India. The relationship to cinquefoil (both in the rose family) is emphasized by an effort to have it reclassified as Potentilla indica, based on a genetic study published in 2002. So far it appears that most authoritative sources have retained the old classification.

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Duchesnea indica

Distribution of Duchesnea indica in the United States and Canada:
USDA Map temporarily unavailable.
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2017. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 16 Jan 2025). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

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Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2009-March-30Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D60
1/125f/22 ISO200
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
90mm (135 equiv)
Duchesnea indica has 5 yellow petals subtended by 5 hairy, pointed sepals. They are above green, toothed bracts, and surround a central disk of many stamens and pistils.
Duchesnea indica
Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2009-March-23Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
1/80f/22 ISO200
Nikon Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm 4-5.6G ED
112mm (168 equiv) Flash: Yes
Indian Strawberry has a palmate leaf with 3 toothed leaflets, and yellow blossoms rising 1 to 4 inches above the stem.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Duchesnea indica
Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2010-May-18Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Nikon D60
Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The fruit of Duchesnea indica looks very similar to a true strawberry, but is largely tasteless. The seeds are red and cover the fruit.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Duchesnea indica
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Duchesnea indica initially published on USWildflowers.com 2009-12-23; Updated 2016-01-27

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