Цвіт суниці

Five to eleven soft, hairy white flowers are borne on a stalk of 3-15 centimetres (1-6 in) that usually lifts them above the leaves. The leaves are light green and trifoliate, with toothed margins. The plant spreads mostly by means of runners, but its seeds are viable and establish new populations.

Taxonomy

Fragaria vesca is the type species of the genus Fragaria, which has more than 20 described species. It is diploid, with 14 chromosomes.

Habitat

The typical habitat of the plant is along trails and roadsides, in meadows, young woodlands and woodland edges, and in clearings. In the southern part of its range it can grow only in shady areas; further north it tolerates more sun.

Flower Scent

Garden strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa) grown at optimum temperatures emit a mean of 10.45 ng of scent per flower per hour. Plants grown at a warmer temperature release no detectable floral scent. Eight scent compounds were detected: five aromatics, two irregular terpenes and one sesquiterpene. Among them p-anisaldehyde dominates, at 81.9% of the scent. Flowers of three garden strawberry varieties all emitted the same 24 volatile compounds, but differed in the quantities of several of them. Volatile compounds of garden strawberry flowers appeared to be important in attracting the wild bee Osmia bicornis.

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