| Mock strawberry | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Potentilla |
| Species: | P. indica |
| Binomial name | |
| Potentilla indica (Andrews) Th.Wolf |
|
Potentilla indica (formerly Duchesnea indica), also called mock strawberry, Gurbir, Indian strawberry or false strawberry, has foliage and fruit similar to true strawberry, though it is classified in a different genus, and has yellow flowers, unlike the white or slightly pink flowers of true strawberries. It is native to eastern and southern Asia, but has been introduced to many other areas as an ornamental plant. It has been naturalized in many regions, including the southern United States, and is considered a noxious weed in some regions.
The leaves are trifoliate, roughly veined beneath, dark green, and often persisting through the winter, arising from short crowns. The plant spreads along creeping stolons, rooting and producing crowns at each node. The yellow flowers are produced in mid spring, then sporadically throughout the growing season. The fruits are white or red, and entirely covered with red seed-like achenes. They are edible, but they have very little flavor.
Recent genetic evidence has shown that this genus is better included within Potentilla,[1] but currently most sources still list it in the genus Duchesnea.