Europe presents us with three species, which in their normal state all produce fruit of small size. Two of these species have hermaphrodite flowers, and the third (Fragaria elatior) combines male, female, and hermaphrodite flowers. These European species are:

Fragaria Vesga

Fragaria Vesga - The Wood and Alpine Strawberries.

Fragaria Collina

Fragaria Collina - Green Pineapple Strawberry.

Fragaria Elatior

Fragaria Elatior - Hautbois Strawberry.

Fragaria Monophylla

Fragaria Monophylla of Linnaeus does not exist as a species, it being a variety of F. vesca.

Fragaria Sterilis

Fragaria Sterilis of Linnaeus has proved to be Comarum fragarioides.

Asia presents us with one hermaphrodite species :

Fragaria Indiga

Fragaria Indiga, producing yellow blossoms, whose fruit is not edible.

Note. Both Linnseus and Miller supposed, and so stated, that the F. elatior (Hautbois) was obtained from America, an error that can scarcely be accounted for.

South America presents us with two species, both of which have large foliage and flowers, and fruit of remarkable size, and which comprise in their normal state both staminate and hermaphrodite varieties. These are:

Fragaria Grandiflora

Fragaria Grandiflora - Pine Strawberry.

Fragaria Chilensis

Fragaria Chilensis - Chili Strawberry.

Fragaria Bonariensis

Fragaria Bonariensis of Loudon is only a synonym of F. grandiflora.

North America presents us with six species very distinct in character from all the European and South American species, and producing fruit varying from a medium to a large size.

These species each present in their normal state plants of two characters: 1st, Hermaphrodite or Bisexual; and, 2d, Pistillate or Female.

Of the Hermaphrodite section, there are two divisions; the one combining the stamens and pistils in each flower; and the other producing some peduncles of entirely bi-sexual and others of entirely pistillate flowers. These American species are:

Fragaria Virginiana Vel Canadensis

Fragaria Virginiana Vel Canadensis - Scarlet Strawberry.

Fragaria Hudsonica

Fragaria Hudsonica - Hudson's Bay Strawberry.

Fragaria Iowensis

Fragaria Iowensis - Iowa Strawberry.

Fragaria Illinoiensis

Fragaria Illinoiensis - Illinois Strawberry.

Fragaria Lucida

Fragaria Lucida - California Strawberry.

Fseeicea Of Douglass

Fseeicea Of Douglass, F. Chilensis OF TORRBY AND GRAY, Oregon Strawberry.

Fragaria Caroliniensis

Fragaria Caroliniensis of Loudon has no distinct existence, but is merely a synonym of F. grandiflora.

Fragaria Caroliniana

Fragaria Caroliniana of Duchesne and Poiteau is also a synonym of F. grandiflora.

The European species being hermaphrodite, and but one of the North American species known to Europeans in the time of Linnaeus, he supposed that all the species of the genus Fragaria were of the same character, and he consequently placed them under the class and order, Icosandria-Polygynia, comprising the stamens and pistils in the same flower. The two South American species, which comprise staminate and hermaphrodite varieties, and whose large fruit caused them to be preferred in Europe, are the only species from which the numerous seedling varieties they now possess have been originated, and as but one sexual variety of the Chilensis was carried to Europe, there have been only a few hybrids grown therefrom. All the others are seedlings of the F. grandiflora, and they are very numerous throughout Europe. These seminal varieties have retained their normal parental character, as this species does not admix with the European and North American species, and could not fully admix, even with its own congener of South America, (F. Chilensis,) as but one sex of that species had been obtained.

This primeval character, comprising staminates and hermaphrodites, has always been sustained, but the adoption in Europe of an unnatural system based on the extermination of all the staminates, (males,) has resulted in filling the gardens of Europe exclusively with varieties of the hermaphrodite character; and as preference has been there given to these large white fleshed varieties over the scarlet fleshed varieties of the Fragaria Virginians, it has caused an almost total exclusion from their gardens of all the North American species and varieties. The prejudice thus generated has prevented the introduction into Europe of the productive American pistillate or female varieties as well as of the hermaphrodites, comprising the numerous large hybridized varieties which constitute such remarkable improvements over the few North American kinds they already possess, both in the size and flavor of their fruit, in the far greater hardihood of the plants suitable to the most northern climates, and especically in their great productiveness, the latter quality arising from their sexual physical capacities, and from the "Scientific culture of the Strawberry " in the combination of the sexes.

Europe at the present time possesses no female varieties except the pistillate Hautbois, which she exterminates, and the few pistillate varieties of Virginiana, mostly obtained from America 200 years ago, and two only of our estimable pistillate varieties, which have been recently introduced there; this deficiency having resulted from her fatuity in ignoring the rapid progress made in the Strawberry culture in America during the last fifty years.